Sunrise! Out of bed Ginny tumbles. New day! December 24th. She made it through that heavy day December 23rd a bit of the “whew!” being found with Blue.
A walk in the book
In this chapter we see a number of things unfold to us and to Steel’s characters. We see that Christmas is a time they both don’t like. His family and her family both had serious struggles. Little by little they unfold their mysteries to each other, but they remain reserved.
Blue is quite sure there is a game being played. He wants the relationship that Ginny is unfolding to him, but cannot figure out where that ulterior motive is. He is waiting for the Aha! I see it now and better run moment. Surely she is a social worker or from child protective services or something. Her way with him is very pleasant, but it is so unusual.
Ginny remains intrigued over Blue. He is polite and cares about things she does not figure he would care about. He grooms himself. He uses her laptop with reasonable alacrity, but why? Is he looking for a message from someone? He seems interested in her job and why she does it, how she earns her money, etc.
They end up going back to her house and I could not tell whether Ginny is worried he might steal her meager stuff and run off or whether the author is putting that in our thoughts.
Ginny and Blue
These two are good for each other. They have their own lives, backgrounds, and motivations, but each has experienced big personal fractures. Blue and Ginny are both a bit lost in the world. Each has people they care about and who care about them, but each also stays away from those people.
Ginny and Blue are both vulnerable, needy, but gradually finding in each other some hope and togetherness.
Fluffy?
Maybe it is fluffy because the writing remains choppy and the characters are developed in fits and starts.
Bad for Christians?
My stereotype for Danielle Steel has always been steamy. Blue, at least, has had zero of what I would call fluffy, unfulfilled romance. Thus far it has been nothing like my stereotype. Having read several Nicholas Sparks books there is clearly a greater percentage of those features there. Are Steel’s other books steamy? Will this one get there? I have no idea, but I am finding my stereotype again to be challenged.
I am halfway done with another book by another author: Madeleine L’Engle. It is her book A Small Rain. L’Engle as author of The Wrinkle in Time series is automatically “Christian approved.” In that book is a young girl named Katherine. Katherine’s mother is painted in a troubled albeit very loving light. That mother’s name is Julie, but Julie can be abusive and use strong language. The world that Katherine lives in includes being given wine to drink and smoking cigarettes with her mom, her aunt and father. All of it to me seems very real for the era in which she wrote.
The funny thing is that as I compare these two books the themes are both very reasonable. L’Engle develops her characters and writes in a manner which I prefer. Tons of people are not like me (if you know me you are probably laughing right now figuring that is some sort of understatement!). Many will not read L’Engle but will read Steel. To this point the things I have read would be considered “less acceptable” in the L’Engle text than in Steel’s text.
Many other pros and cons could be thrown about in these contexts, e.g. how to spend time, self-enrichment, etc. That is not my point. I think it is important that a Christian understand their Bible and bring that interpretation into the lives of those whom they read about. If I think about the characters in Steel’s book a reality is certainly there and goodness is too.
And there was morning and evening the 3rd day
I don’t know whether Steel will continue with the one-day-one-chapter approach, but so far it is garnering that flavor.
Other entries in this series
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