Charlotte Vale Allen, Sudden Moves

Sudden Moves

Charlotte Vale Allen

Mira, Apr 2004, $12.95

ISBN: 0778320367

After twenty-seven years of living is isolation in Connecticut, Lucinda Hunter has somewhat come out of her bubble for FRESH AIR thanks to precocious Harlem resident Katanya Taylor. Lucinda has found her lost family on her father's side and has returned to script writing for her best friend under the pseudonym of Ella van Dyne and even won an Oscar. She watches her young pal Soupboy, who helps her critique movies. Lucinda even has a boyfriend Dr. Eli Carter.

The world seems perfect though Lucinda remains reticent with strangers and loathes public appearance even avoiding receipt of her Academy Award. Though she lives a few hours to the north, 9/11 hits her as deeply as it hammered most Americans. Especially impacted is Soupboy whose father died in the tragedy. Now she must help her bud cope while his mother acts crazier by the minute.

The sequel to FRESH AIR, SUDDEN MOVES continues the saga of Lucinda coming out of her shell though 9/11 is both a setback and an impetus for her. The story line is a delightful character study as the audience observes the crippling shyness that has kept her prisoner still exists, but her courage somewhat overcomes her fears. Though there is not any villains besides her aunt and her neighbor in a minor almost non threatening sense, readers will feel deeply the impact of the 9/11 tragedy on the survivors.

Harriet Klausner