Simple Gifts

When Marlene Queens returns from settling her late aunt's estate, life as she knows it falls apart! Her crazy elderly relatives are more eccentric and demanding than ever, and her old flame is acting mayor and recently widowed. But when citizens of the town want to put up a statue in memory of Marlene's father, she finds herself struggling to hold on to a secret that she's spent her entire life protecting. Lori Copeland, softcover, 329 pages.

When Marlene Queens has to go home to Missouri to settle her aunt’s estate, she only plans to stay for a week. She never intends to run into her childhood sweetheart, get drawn back into the life of the town … or risk revealing the secret that she’s kept for years.

Marlene Queens is a woman with great intentions stuck in the wrong situations. As the protagonist of Lori Copland’s book Simple Gifts, we follow her through her return to her hometown of Parnass Springs. After running away from home to get married, she returns as an adult woman to settle the estate of her late Aunt Beth. She soon realizes that she will have to face the past she ran away from those many years ago.

Marlene intends to stay only a short while, but a long string of problems unravel that make her departure quite difficult. Vic, her childhood sweetheart, bears no grudge and attempts to renew the friendship he once had with her. Her Aunt Ingrid dominates Marlene’s time. The elderly woman drags Marlene into a petty dispute with her deceased ex-husband’s most recent wife. The two bitter women abuse any compassion that Marlene has. She’s also faced with the dilemma her father’s legacy has left the entire town. To make matters worse, her hopelessly dependant daughter Sara calls frequently begging for her to come back to their home.

Although a good-natured person, Marlene struggles deeply with telling the truth. The dilemmas she faces reveal the flaws of her personality. In her attempts to secure everyone’s happiness, she neglects the will of God and ends up causing more problems. She bends too easily to her daughter, a young woman who refuses to take care of herself. Instead of standing up for the truth, Marlene succumbs to her aunt. On Marlene’s heart is a deep burden of guilt for the lies she’s told and bad decisions she made. The troubling secret she refuses to tell Vic (or even Joe, his father) traps Marlene deeper into her forest of lies. The emotions she represses toward Vic expose her weakness with the truth. The romantic story between these two, however, gives the book an unforgettable spark.

Copeland appears to know very well what a woman in that position would do. The personality of Marlene is vivid and natural. Although all characters are viewed through Marlene’s eyes, their intentions are portrayed well. A deep sense of sarcastic humor is strewn throughout the story to make the characters edgy and entertaining. She places Marlene in situations that try not only physical and mental issues, but also cause a deep, spiritual battle that all humans must face within. My only critique would be that despite the appearance of excellent trials, the characters were not as vivid as they could have been, and dialogue is at times simplistic and flat.

Lori Copeland shows excellent perception throughout Simple Gifts. I would not suggest this story to a younger crowd who are less “life savvy,” but a mature woman in her middle ages or later years would appreciate the book far more. Even if the dialogue is not wonderful, the book does carry with it a meaningful lesson: it teaches readers the value of being appreciative of the small gifts that the Lord gives us. – Melissa Kerkhoff, Christian Book Previews.com

In this enjoyable inspirational romance, Copeland shows the talent that has sold more than three million copies of her books. Marlene Queens returns to her childhood small town of Parnass Springs, Mo., to help wrap up an aged aunt's affairs. Her kinsfolk are "nuttier than a Payday candy bar," especially her 92-year-old Aunt Ingrid, who's involved in a hilarious running dispute with her ex-husband's widow over where his amputated foot should be buried. Copeland's characters are more intriguing than the standard faith fiction fodder: Marlene is the child of two mentally challenged parents, her father is dead, and she's never met her mother. As the plot unfolds, Marlene's former pastor's penchant for wild inventions enlivens the story. His son, Marlene's childhood sweetheart (now conveniently widowed), is waiting for Marlene to come clean about her past and resume their former relationship. The dialogue is snappy and often humorous, and Copeland has a flair for fresh descriptions ("dealing with Ingrid was like getting a caramel stuck in your back teeth"). Although some plot elements are a stretch, especially the longevity of Marlene's secret or a contrived disaster that brings things to a climax, readers will find this novel of much higher quality than the usual inspirational romance. Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.

Average Rating:

6 of 6 Reviews Showing:

Reviewed by Stacey (Las Vegas, NV), May 17, 2008

Lori Copeland's "Simple Gifts" is just that - a wonderful gift of a novel about a woman who never believed she could come home again, her overbearing daughter, and the man she left behind. When Marlene returns home to sell her deceased Aunt's house, she learns a valuable lesson about giving and receiving forgiveness. This book is beautifully written and full of humor. There are also action sequences that keep you on the edge of your seat, and a romance woven throughout that will captivate you. Bravo, Miss Copeland!

Reviewed by Susan (North Vancouver, BC), January 23, 2008

I found Simple Gifts to be too odd to be believable. This is the first book I've read by Lori Copeland, and I'm not sure I'll pick up another. The main character in this book has so many unbelievable things happen to her, from comic to tragic, that she doesn't seem to be a real person with whom I could identify. The story was a little disjointed, and several times I had to thumb back through the book to refresh my memory about Marlene's history. The family relationships didn't make sense. For example, Marlene had always wanted a grandfather, but it was clear that Eugene was her grandfather - her father's father. Yet the author portrayed him as a remote, philandering uncle. I appreciated the humor throughout the book, and the themes of unconditional love, acceptance, and forgiveness were valuable, but the overall writing was poor.

Reviewed by Nicole (Perrysburg, Ohio), August 21, 2007

I enjoyed this book for it's many different complexities. For one person to have so much going on that she misses seeing the people around her who love her. I did have to laugh about the incident with the coke stand. The love in this book shows you how what once was a true love can still live in your heart. It reminds us that the lies we tell others about us so that we don't look bad only end up worse in the end. When we are free from all of those things we can see our heart again and hear what it is telling us it wants. Even when it pertains to family. Enjoy this book in all of it's twists and turns. In the end everything is where it should be.

Reviewed by Sala (Canada), July 26, 2007

I have to admit I had a hard time sticking with this story - but the last 25% of the book makes it worth it.

Reviewed by Ann (Wyoming), May 25, 2007

I purchased this book a couple weeks ago from CBD. I finished it a few days ago. It was okay and a fun read but yet I found myself not warming to Marlene just because I have a difficult time with someone who lies as much as she does. The book actually made me nervous waiting for her to stop lying. She has lived her whole life as a lie because of pride and I realize that is the essence of the book but it's not until the last few pages that she finally apologizes to the man who has loved he all her life. Besides the lying, she allows her daughter who is spoiled rotten to manipulate her and be at her beck and call. That was another part I never understood; Marlene won't marry the man she has always loved and who loves her because he will want children and she is afraid they will be like her parents, so she runs off with another man and has a child with him. I didn't understand that reasoning. I like all the other characters in the book and Lori Copeland's humor. I especially liked Vic's character and wasn't sure Marlene deserved him but then he forgave her just as God did but she threw so many years away, you just wanted to shake her. All in all, it's still a good book. It just bothered me that the lie went on so long. Sorry, I have zero tolerance for people who lie. For Marlene to keep her secret, it's lie piled upon lie. You just kept wondering when it would end. In fact I skimmed to the end at one point to see if she ever came clean. Ha! Then I went back and read the rest!

Reviewed by D. Forbes (Canada), May 11, 2007

A thoroughly engaging, thought provoking read. I just loved this enjoyable book! I also enjoyed Lori Copeland's Monday Morning Faith, and as our Church's librarian, I can say that Monday Morning Faith has been one of most popular books over the past months. I enjoyed Simple Gifts even more - and I am certain it too will prove a hit in our library. Lori Copeland has a real sense of humor, and a great way with words. Escape life a little, and just enjoy!

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