Book Review: The Ordinary Truth by Jana Richman

The Ordinary Truth by Jana Richman
Publisher: Torrey House Press
Release Date: November 13, 2012
My rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Publisher’s Description:

When Nell Jorgensen buried her husband, she buried a piece of herself—and more than one secret. Now, thirty-six years later, the rift between Nell and her daughter Kate threatens to implode as Kate, now forty-six and a water manager for the Nevada Water Authority, plans to pipe water from a huge aquifer that lies beneath the family ranch to thirsty Las Vegas. Meanwhile, Nell’s twenty-one-year-old granddaughter Cassie intends to unearth those old secrets and repair the resentments that grew in their place. Throughout the novel, sparse and beautiful landscapes surround an emotional wilderness of love, loss, and family.

The three women central in the book – Nell, Kate and Cassie – are all struggling with their own demons. Nell and her daughter Kate have a strained relationship and Kate has repeated the pattern with own daughter Cassie. The novel is told in first person narration, which alternates between characters. The title of each chapter is the name of whomever is telling the story for that chapter. This worked well to develop the character of each woman and give insight in to the choices they made in their lives that led them to the point they are now.

Even though Nell and Kate aren’t that likeable, I was still able to muster up some sympathy for them. It was especially hard with Kate. I just wanted to shake her at times. I think it’s a sign of good writing when the author can stir up emotions in the reader. However, I thought the family secret driving Nell and Kate’s relationship was fairly obvious. I feel like this particular plot twist has been used several times before. That being said, I still enjoyed this book as a character study of the three main women and an exploration of their relationships with each other.