The Surprising Power of the Family Meal
July 25, 2011
A gifted young surgeon and a genius biomedical engineer rendezvous in this novel about love, loss, and new beginnings. Andrew Jones has everything going for himâthat is, until his fiancé is unexpectedly killed right before his eyes. Unable to continue as a doctor, Jones resigns himself to teaching until Lara Blair accosts him and asks if he'd be willing to run a trial of an innovative new medical technology device. As the lives of the two begin to intersect in surprising ways, Jones must decide if he can let go of his demons and Blair must choose to open herself up to God. Wallace, screenwriter for the film Braveheart and director of Secretariat, writes a cinematic novel that touches on themes of mortality, grief, and hope. While the book is a bit dry and the characters' personalities are rather muffled, readers who enjoy storytelling with a strong moral lesson may well be pleased with Wallace's first novel.