 December 2002
An Ordinary Woman
by Donna Hill
It’s rapidly becoming commonplace not to include any book written by Donna Hill as ‘ordinary’, especially after having penned 17 novels with a reputation fastly being attributed to her ability to craft page turning storylines. Her latest, An Ordinary Woman adds to this legacy and is destined to be compared favorably with Rhythms, her last. How do two women, the best of friends…sharing common bonds and sacred secrets allow division among the ranks seemingly beyond repair? I’ve read several of Donna’s books and this is one of her best (not that Rhythms was any slouch).
This is a tale of Ash Woods and Lisa Holden, childhood friends and surrogate sisters, and. Ross Davis who marries Lisa. Inseparable? Friends for life? The intent was good, but what brought the tension to a head and caused havoc were two incidents that proved to be caustic was Lisa’s marriage and Asha’s disastrous confrontation with her mother. In order to get the gist and ramification of these two occurrences consider that the colors Ms Hill uses to illustrate the characters truly makes a believable and compelling tale come to life. The canvas used in painting this picture is one where we’re allowed to examine with baited breath all the cracks in the facades of each character, and be put in position to ask questions on how can one sleep with her best friends’ husband. The issues that the three face add tone, tenor, and temerity to a situation rife with betrayal and commitment gone awry.
One of the features that make this novel a good read is the style in which it was written, using alternative voices of the main characters to tell their side of the story. It starts with Asha taking the first person narrative portrayal, Lisa following, and Ross is painted both as a supporting fixture and as the genesis for Asha’s fidelity issues. It doesn’t hurt that imagery and detail gives this story new twists trying to reasonable doubt for readers to determine the what and why of it. Each of the characters has reasons for the story to articulate with believable voices extolling candor, realism, and a genuine need to go to the extent for circumstance to take precedence.
Usually in weaving intrigue to illustrate plot and supporting subplot, it the author loses timing which causes the story to bog down in unnecessary dialogue…not to mention the time that is paramount for the story to gel. I found a little of this, but it did dilute the author’s knack for a quick recovery for the surprise ending. Donna Hill does it again! A superbly written novel where each character gives the reader reason to adamantly believe that lesson were learned and that faces can peer in the mirror in recognizing faults and move on. With this in mind, the ordinary woman who made a mistake know now can live through the hurt and healing for results extraordinary!
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