THE SNOWBIRDS

If this portrait of family struggles and a rekindled romance had been a notch or two better, reviewers would observe that, as a novelist, Christian romance writer Jones was like Jane Smiley and Liz Curtis Higgs put together. As it stands, they will be able to say only that this novel had potential. The plot has the makings of an enjoyable work of contemporary fiction: Nicolette Dorsey (Nic for short) has a retarded daughter, Willa; a supportive extended family; and no husband. Nic's family wants to continue caring for the preteen Willa at home, but Nic plans to place her in a school for kids with special needs. The family will spend Christmas at their ancestral homestead in not-so-subtly named Persuasion, Ala., figuring out what's best for Willa. The plot thickens when Nic's old flame, the dastardly Sam, turns up in Persuasion. Although the story line promises a stirring read, Jones doesn't quite deliver. The characters aren't sufficiently developed, and readers will predict an ostensibly surprising plot turn from the second chapter. Finally, the expression of Christian faith that has upheld Nic through her trials and transformed Sam from a sinner to a saint is heavy-handed. (One angst-ridden conversation features the declaration, "I don't walk in my sin, I walk in His grace.") The happy ending seems pat and anticlimactic by the time Jones finally gets there. She is a capable writer, but this misses the mark. (Aug.)