More Than a Memory

Set in northern Iowa farm country in the 1950s, Garlock's retro romance (following With Heart) details the fitful relationship of high-school sweethearts Nelda Hansen and Lute Hanson. As teenagers, the two were hurried into a shotgun marriage by Nelda's Marine Corps officer father because she was pregnant; five days later, the marriage was dissolved. During the ensuing nine years, Lute enlisted in the Navy, the baby died and Nelda became a successful interior decorator. Now Nelda has inherited the family farm, and Lute is working his family's acres. They meet across the grave of their baby girl, and it's clear that the passion of their youth has not faded. The moment is poignant, but Lute's subsequent behavior displays an obvious lack of maturity. Even though career women were a rarity in the '50s, Lute's nasty attitude toward Nelda's profession is severe. That Nelda endures his insults is even more aggravating, and readers may find it difficult to identify with such a subdued heroine. Exacerbating an already off-putting storyline, Garlock's prose is stilted and her dialogue hampered by constant ""I'll not's."" Those who like the dominant hero, fragile heroine duo may appreciate this breezy read, but readers who prefer mature, intelligent protagonists should look elsewhere. (Feb.)