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A Winter Marriage - Book Review |
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Book Reviews -
Women's Fiction
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Written by Catie Hayes
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 A Winter
Marriage, by Kerry Hardie
Hannie Bennett is not someone you would choose as a friend. She
may not even be someone you like. She is, however, an unapologetic
survivor, answering to only herself. Never the misty-eyed romantic,
Hannie calculatingly moves from one marriage to the next; relationships
whose sole purpose is to provide material stability. Into each
marriage, Hannie brings her troubled son, Joss.
As she often does, Hannie finds herself at the end of a marriage.
She is searching for the next opportunity when she runs into Ned
Renvyle. Ned has spent his life traveling alone, and seeks a partner
to accompany his return to Ireland. With utmost candor, Hannie
presents herself as a candidate in a marriage of mutual convenience.
Ned needs a companion, Hannie needs security for herself and Joss.
Without any false pretenses or sentimentality, the arrangement
is settled.
Reality, however, is an uncomfortable bedfellow. Hannie finds
the quiet farming lifestyle of a small Irish village suffocating.
Joss' arrival heralds further strain in the form of manipulation
and betrayal. Somehow under these strained conditions, Ned and
Hannie create a partnership that would make no sense under normal
conditions. Within the context of their life, they create a dynamic
that serves them both.
A Winter
Marriage is an unblinking look at the give and take
of relationships. Often messy, complicated and haunted by emotional
baggage, these relationships don't always have a happy ending.
Often, self-preservation is at odds with a relationship's demands.
The stakes determine the outcome.
Copyright 2003
Reprinted with permission.
About the Author: Catie Hayes is founder/editor of WomanLinks.com;
a community of support, spirituality, growth and empowerment for
women. She is a freelance writer, the single homeschooling mom
of two, and an avid fan of laughter, spontaneous dancing, cats
and chocolate (not necessarily in that order).
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