Anxious Hearts by Tucker Shaw
Page Count: 242
Reading Level: YA
Summary: "Evangeline," he repeated, calling at a whisper. "Evangeline." He was not calling that she may hear, he was calling that somehow her soul might know that he was devoted entirely to her, only to her. "Evangeline, I will find you."
Eva and Gabe explore the golden forest of their seaside Maine town, unknowingly tracing the footsteps of two teens, Evangeline and Gabriel, who once lived in the idyllic wooded village of Acadia more than one hundred years ago. On the day that Evangeline and Gabriel were be wed, their village was attacked and the two were separated. And now in the present, Gabe has mysteriously disappeared from Eva.
A dreamlike, loose retelling of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's famous love poem "Evangeline," "Anxious Hearts" tells an epic tale of unrequited love and the hope that true love can be reunited.
My review: As a fan of classic poetry and a romantic at heart I opened this book filled with high expectations. Anxious Hearts didn't let me down, but it also left me wanting more. The story, though sparse at times, was written with a delicate touch for detail and description. Narrated by Eva in the present day, her story is interspersed with Gabe from a hundred years ago. Both narrators have met their respected soulmates with identical names, yet it is Eva's modern day version which ends on a hopeful note.
As much as I liked this story I did become frustrated by it at times: by how quickly Eva, as a modern day teen, succumbs to the mysterious Gabe. Once childhood best friends, then separated by his prejudiced father, Eva's feelings for him resurface suddenly after an embarrassing classroom incident. In defense of her character Shaw did have her mention how she had fallen for Gabe when she was younger (after he gave her a coin). I also really wanted to connect with the new Gabe, to understand him, but he came across one dimensional until the last scene. I never understood his reason for leaving Eva in the woods. Eva changes and becomes stronger, knowing what she wants by the end, and despite the quickness of her decisions, it seemed believable. The original Gabe's version was often written quite poetically. His character was sympathetic with his determination to find the woman he loves and is torn apart from.
Despite my qualms I thoroughly enjoyed Shaw's writing. His dreamlike prose was graceful and his lovely descriptions made me feel as if I was there in their seaside Maine town. I was glad to have read this at the beach with the sounds of the waves providing a wonderful counterpoint. As a writer I commend the author's creativity for attempting such a feat (with Longfellow's epic poem) and giving these characters their own story. I only wished as a reader there was slightly more given to me to better understand these people and their motivations as Eva and Gabe sought and fought to find each other again. I wanted to love this novel but I'll settle for really liking it.
Rating: +++1/2
Favorite excerpt: "That night I sleep, I think, or maybe I don't sleep, to the dual rhythms of Gabe's slow, pulsing heart, so deliberate and clear, and the unmistakable creep of the tide, tossing tiny splashes closer and closer to the tent, slowly encroaching, eroding, rinsing away anything that came before. Feeding whatever is next." (Page 90, ARC edition)
Cover comment: Simply beautiful. I love the autumnal colors and the model's gaze. It would have been cool to have a silhouette or shadow of Gabe in the background.
Book source: Around the World tours
Reviewed by: Laurie
I'm not big on the retelling of old stories but this does sound like it might be good. Thanks for the review!
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