Critical Mick

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Elena, Woman of Courage
by Linda Weaver Clarke
Bedside Books (an imprint of American Book Publishing Group), 2009

The Bank is Open

Webmaster Note: After crime fiction as shockingly scary as Sam Millar's The Dark Place, Mick needed a spot that was completely sunlit, cheerful and wholesome. Where better than Linda Weaver Clarke's Bear Lake Valley, Idaho? Elena, Woman of Courage is her fifth and final volume. Any instalment of Gilbert and Melinda Roberts' family saga is sure to feature old friends, new love, and easy-going adventure... no dead bodies, guaranteed.

It's 1925 and Melinda Roberts is fifty-five years old. Her hubby Gilbert, at fifty-nine, is still as handsome and rugged as ever. ("When Gilbert removed his shirt, Elena [the town's new woman doctor] instantly put her hand to her mouth as she noticed his bulging biceps and broad chest. 'Oh my!'"). Jenny and Will have made them happy grandparents, and telephones and Model T's have arrived in Paris, Idaho. Melinda's one concern: son John, at twenty-seven, is a bachelor who has run from every relationship. Won't he ever settle down?

That worry is dispelled when John, whose dry farm up in the hills requires little attention for part of the year, comes down to Montpelier, Idaho and spots Dr. Elena Yeates at the town social. At twenty-six, she is not only courageous, she is one of the West's first true female medical professionals.

Hey, John is a character who thinks like a bloke! And he thinks in 1920's slang. In this family saga's book five, everything's hotsy-totsy.

The language (gams, bearcat, the bank is closed, ah horsefeathers!) is a lot of fun. John and Elena are among Linda Weaver Clarke's most likeable characters, and enjoyable cross-over encounters enable series readers to catch up with the couples from previous books. The storyline of EWOC (aside from John and Elena getting together, which is inevitable) focuses on the young doctor winning the respect of the town in the early days of the woman's rights movement. An important lesson, it is supported by gentle subplots (about a missing Indian girl whose family has befriended Elena, for example). There is also a mysterious thief who steals women's underwear when everyone in town is attending church!

As with Linda Weaver Clarke's other books, EWOC provides interesting anecdotes that even a history nerd like me had not known. Specifically, young doctor Elena describes to John the invention of the stethoscope in 1816 by Rene Theophile Hyacinthe Laënnec. (The inventor created his device out of modesty, so that he would not have to place his head on a young woman's chest). One notable historical exclusion is any mention of World War I. John would have been at just the right age for enlisting when America entered the war in 1917. It seems unusual that EWOC discards one of the important events of the twentieth century. Another potential weakness comes from repetition. Each book in Linda Weaver Clarke's series offers important advice on the foundations of healthy marriages. However, it's always the same advice: by the time John and Elena are expressing their respect and praise for one another's virtues, there is a temptation to skim ahead to the next bit of purloined underwear.

While discussing Westerns about overcoming prejudice....

Does John have Elenamania? Ab-so-lute-ly.

Critical Mick says: Of the family saga's five books, Elena, Woman of Courage is the most enjoyable. Its mix of history, adventure, affection and wisdom is a safe introduction for younger readers into the world of Romance. Adult readers or those who have followed the series will be pleased with this closing chapter from the Bear Lake Valley.

What does Elena like about John? He is rugged.

Read Critical Mick's November 2006 interview with Linda Weaver Clarke

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This Page Was Last Updated On 17 October, 2009.