Closure

Todd debuts with a powerful epistolary novel of a young woman torn between her love for a man and love for God. Morgan Wells writes a long letter to her first love, Wade, examining the highs and lows of their six-year relationship. Morgan and Wade meet during their first year of high school and start dating their junior year. While Wade wins Morgan over with promises to never hurt her and always take care of her, he soon insists on going further sexually than Morgan is comfortable with. (While they are both Catholic, Morgan is much more devout than Wade, who wonders if God is real and if keeping faith is necessary.) As the relationship matures and they become sexually active, Morgan struggles with the dichotomy between what her faith teaches and the life she is living. She prays for Wade and hopes he will finally embrace God, but comes to the realization their differences might be irreconcilable. Morgan and Wade’s relationship builds gradually, which makes the intensity of Morgan’s moral wrangling and difficulty making a final decision resonate. Todd’s moving, emotionally complex story nicely captures the magic and heartache of first love. (Self-published)