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Community comment are the opinions of contributing users. These comment do not represent the opinions of Tulsa City-County Library.
Jun 12, 2017
The Excellent Lombards is an enchanting novel about a young girl names Mary Francis Lombard and her life growing up on the Lombard orchard. She knows from a child that she wants to forever work on her family’s land and tries everything to protect that dream. When this dream is threatened, it is shown how thoroughly involved this bestselling author of A Map of the World and The Book of Ruth, really becomes in the new work. Jane Hamilton does a magnificent job of portraying this young character’s heart when it comes to matters of the farm, family, and friendships. Readers can truly relate to the main character. In addition to this, Hamilton aids the reader into falling in love with the story and the Lombard family. Readers are able to watch this young character, also known as Frankie, grow up and relate to the people around her. Whether it is her relationship with her brother William, her respect for her father’s heart in the business, or trying to understand the complexity of May Hill’s mentality, Hamilton’s fans will say she has done it again. Balancing the time span of Mary Francis’ adolescence to bringing characters to life is a large feat and Hamilton has done it very well. It is evident that Hamilton was careful to write in the perspective of sweet and vivacious Frankie as she grows up and walks through different circumstances in her life. As this novel develops it is very difficult not to be enchanted by eccentric, yet innocent tale. The novel begins when Mary Francis is only 12 years old. Her innocence and determination to always work on the family farm is her heart’s desire. The family land has receives the titles of ‘Volta’ and ‘Velta’ which divides the land of the two cousins, Jim and Sherwood Lombard. Secretly Mary Francis and her brother William come up with these names to describe the separation of the family that these young hearts perceive. Volta is Mary’s Uncle Sherwood’s land on the manor side and Velta is her safe haven. She lives there with her father, mother, brother, and their Gloria, the family’s helper. Her family raises sheep along with being apple farmers. These extended families of two cousins raise their families on the land and are definitely not free of the hardships and disagreements that face the two heads of households. Even more complex than the relationship between the two cousins, Mary Francis is unsure and frightened of the aunt-like old maid, Mary Hill. The quiet and solemn old maid is even more of a mystery. Though it is not obvious at the beginning, the older pillar of the farm may have more to do with the future of the farm that at first anticipated. As the novel progresses, it keeps the onlookers captivated by what may happen with the family farm. This novel is definitely one that needs to be read by audiences of all ages. It is evident that readers of many different walks of life will be captivated with this sweet and full of life novel. Beth Moreno, CALS