Customer Reviews

Act of Kindness

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Gene is a woman who makes her living doing voiceovers, she is injuried during a studio accident. She rents a home from the second women in this story, seeking a quiet place to have her baby. A gentle, well written story, that takes many twists. I love this book and have read it at least 20 times.

This tale of the unlikely friendship between a voiceless, pregnant young woman and the deeply unhappy wealthy wife of an alarmingly abusive charmer is deeply touching in its exploration of how the bonds of a friendship get formed. Like the other reviewer, I, too, love this book. It has tremendous tension and great warmth. It also is an intriguing investigation of the insidious effects of domestic abuse. I once saw this book listed among the titles in a gay bookstore and found it interesting that the affection shown by the two women was interpreted as the foundation of a gay relationship. In reality, it's about the need of women for intimate friends and for warmth; it's not about a sexual relationship. The one scene that was clearly misinterpreted had to do with Del (who cannot have children) drawn to Gene's lushness in pregnancy because it represents everything Del can never have. This is a fine book, written with sensitivity and great understanding of the human condition.

Charlotte Vale Allen has become one of my favorite authors. I enjoyed this book very much and highly recommend it.

Genie was grief-stricken from the loss of her lover Bill when he died of a massive heart attack. On top of everything else, she had an accident that caused her to lose her voice. In order to keep from going crazy, she had to re-locate from all the familiar surroundings.

In Genie's re-location she meets Adele, and the two women become fast friends. Adele has been trapped in a very abusive marriage and needs out. When Genie came into Adele's life, she offered her a new ray of hope for the better just by her very presence.
The two become close friends searching for love to fill their lonely souls.

The book could not have been better written.