The Painted Table

Debut novelist Field’s heroine, Saffee Quimby, desperately desires to escape the mental illness that has afflicted her mother, Joann, all her life. In this multigenerational saga, readers are introduced to Joann as a young girl, traumatized by a prairie fire and the death of her own mother. Her descent into mental illness is described vividly, and its effects on her family (isolation and embarrassment) come across realistically. The heirloom table that figured prominently in Joann’s torment is eventually bequeathed to Saffee, who must decide if it will hold similar sway over her or if perhaps she can uncover its redemptive qualities. Saffee’s spiritual growth plays a vital role in her journey toward wholeness. This difficult but beautiful story of hurt and healing, desperation and hope, offers an intriguing view inside the world of the mentally ill and their loved ones. But the power of that insight is undercut by storytelling flaws: the novice author has a tendency to tell readers the obvious rather than allowing the story to reveal it. Agent: Patti Hummel, Benchmark Group Literary Agency. (Dec.)