Friday Book Report: Mill River Recluse by Darcie Chan

The Mill River Recluse by Darcie Chan is a heartwarming story about the ability to triumph over tragedy, and that despite our fears; we can still affect those closest to us.  This book was self-published in 2011 and so far I have only seen it available in eBook format.

Mary McAllister spends nearly sixty years secluded in her white marble mansion overlooking the small town of Mill River, Vermont.  Suffering from social anxiety disorder after a horrible incident when she was just sixteen, Mary fears strangers and panics at the thought of venturing out into the world beyond her marble walls.   Her only connection to the outside world are the mail, television and radio and the friendship of an elderly priest that has known Mary since he performed her wedding Mass so many years ago.

Most of the residents of Mill River have never seen Mary, and find that the house and its owner an eccentric addition to the small town.  The marble house is a mystery to the town, but most view it as just another structure that adds to the personality of the quaint little New England village.  Many are curious about the inhabitant of the old marble structure but it isn’t until Mary’s death that the villagers of Mill River will finally understand what Father Michael O’Brien has known all along:  that although Mary was reclusive, she always knew and loved those of the sleepy town that she called her own.

This is a heartwarming story.  There isn’t much in the way of a plot, but it has feel-good written all through it.  It isn’t surprising this was self-published, because this book has no interest in tackling some of the more serious or thought provoking issues that other novels do.  But it’s an endearing tale, and if you have an eBook, it’s worth the price (I’ve found it for only .99 cents at both Amazon and Barnes and Noble) of downloading to read.

The story flashes back from the past, telling Mary’s heartbreaking story, to present in a remarkably coherent way.  A lot of flash back novels can feel disjointed, but Chan works from the past to the present wonderfully to tell the story she wants to.  The writing won’t overwork your brain, and in parts the dialogue between characters can get a little cheesy and feel forced, but overall Chan gets her point across.  There is very few unnecessary descriptions, which I found a great relief since I am not a fan of the overly descriptive writing about non-essential portions of books, and for the most part Chan is blunt and to the point in her writing. 

The story won’t overwhelm you, and it’s very predictable, but I don’t think Chan was focusing on trying to keep the secrets from being revealed until the end.  Instead, Chan concentrates on telling the story and illustrating how one woman can affect so many without them even knowing her.  It’s a story about overcoming tragedy and doing what you can to help your fellow neighbor as best you can.  Chan hints at some religious themes:  How can God let something bad happen to someone that is good?  When bad things do happen, do we turn away from God, or do we trust in Him and lean on our faith even more?  And while Chan mentions these themes, the book isn’t overpowered by them and in fact Chan leaves the interpretation of those ideas up to the reader, which was very nicely done on her part.  Instead of preaching, Chan puts the idea in the readers head and allows the reader to decide on their own.

There are a lot of characters in this book, but Chan does a good job of developing them all nicely and very few felt like they didn’t need to be in this book.  From the new hunky police officer to the dimwitted yet lovable Daisy, Chan describes them all very well and clarifies their role and their progression throughout the book.  I grew up in a small town, and Chan describes the inner-workings of the small town thoroughly and quite accurately.

This is an uplifting story, it won’t make you think too much, but it’s got just the right amount of emotion that will make you feel good after reading.  I give this book a B-, if only because it seems at times too overly sappy and the dialogue between characters could have been better written.  But it’s a nice story, despite all the heartache Mary goes through, she never forgets where she came from, and she never forgets those wonderful neighbors that have been a part of her life unbeknownst to them.  If you like the uplifting and positive type of stories, I’d recommend picking up this eBook, especially if it’s still only one dollar.  It may not have made me think about any serious issues, but it did make me feel good at the end, and that’s all I usually want out of a book.