Customer Reviews

The Recital

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I didn't meet Joan and Gerrit in The Duet, so I wasn' present at the first blush of their new romance. I met them in The Recital where they had already become a couple and were growing into each other.

The sweetness of their relationship reminded me of a recent event at my church. A couple celebrated forty-three years of marriage with the renewal of their wedding vows. A celebration of romance so unlike what the world calls love. And that is a very good thing, as is the story in The Recital.


The poignancy, yearning and the reality of mature love is captured by Mr. Elmer. So much so, that I didn't miss not knowing Joan and Gerrit at the beginning of their relationship.

The faith of the characters is realistically portrayed. The banter between those who both know and love God but see Him differently is humorous, and it's always nice to have the reminder that our carefully guarded God-boxes are ours, not His.


I didn't expect a major event in the final chapters of the book. I can't say I liked it, but I can say it added another layer to the depth of the book, and to the characters. I don't always like what happens in real life, either. Nor do I care for twenty-two (or is it even less now) minute resolutions to major problems in sitcoms.


If you hate surprises, The Recital may not be your type of symphony. But if you want sweet reminder of why we fall in love, The Recital hits some poignant notes.

When retired farmer Gerrit Appeldoorn marries piano teacher Joan Horton, he doesn't realize it will lead him far from his quaint hometown to the chaos of downtown Chicago. The Recital by Robert Elmer tells the compelling tale of Gerrit's devotion to his wife and to God, in the midst of confusing circumstances.

Gerrit has lived in a small farm town called Van Dalen his entire life. But when the Gaylord Conservatory of Music in Chicago offers Joan the position of senior piano professor, Gerrit sacrificially trades the green fields of Van Dalen for the gray avenues of Chicago. He tells her that she is his home now. But when they reach Chicago, loneliness and a feeling of being out of place gnaw at him.

The story also addresses the struggle Gerrit and Joan face to overcome their theological differences. For example, while they agree on the basics of Christianity, Gerrit is a staunch Calvinist, and Joan is an Armenian. Gradually, they learn not to let these differences come between them. Without siding with either the Calvinist or Armenian camp, The Recital promotes a happy unity in the body of Christ.

Some readers may be uncomfortable with a few issues in the book. Joan's son Randy and his girlfriend have premarital sex, but it is not condoned. Instead, the author focuses on Gerrit and Joan's struggle to know how to respond appropriately to the news. Elmer also acknowledges the beauty of sex inside of marriage, but some readers may not approve the implied references to sex, which is not explicit or graphic.

Written in a very conversational style, the book provides enjoyable reading with touching messages. Occasionally the attempts at humor seem a little cheesy, but it had me laughing out loud at other times. Overall, The Recital is an emotional, compelling story with a positive theme. - Jonathan Young, [...].

In THE RECITAL, the sequel to THE DUET, Robert Elmer pens a sweet story about the challenges of putting away the past, the transforming nature of love, and the power of faith. THE RECITAL picks up the story of the widowed dairy farmer Gerrit Appeldoorn and his city-slicker romantic interest, piano teacher and music professor Joan Horton. Now 60 years old, Gerrit has retired from his dairy farming days in Van Dalen, Washington, and he's busy selling tractors and pondering his love for Joan. But there's the little matter of religion: Gerrit's stubborn Calvinism runs deep to his bones, and Joan's own Nazarene brand of Christianity is a lot more emotional. For Gerrit, everything is predestined by God.

But is the prestigious job offer Joan has in Chicago, 2,163 miles from the farm, part of God's will for Gerrit's life? He isn't sure. All he knows is that he wants to marry the dark, beautiful Italian widow who has come into his life (a love affair sparked over piano lessons in THE DUET). But will a "mixed marriage" between a Calvinist and a non-reformed Christian work? And how can Gerrit leave a town he's loved and known all his life? But "You're my home now, Joan," he tells her, and with this sweet statement, their immediate future is decided.

Elmer does a nice job portraying Gerrit's adjustment to big city living, avoiding clichés and sidestepping quick adjustments. The man who loves the constellations and the birds finds little of either on Lakeshore Drive in Chicago. For Joan, however, going from little girls playing "Itsy Bitsy Spider" at homespun recitals in the small town of Van Dalen to teaching advanced students at the Gaylord Conservatory of Music is a dream come true. But she hasn't counted on the devoted attentions of Dr. Porter Chambliss, recently divorced and uninterested in her newly-married status. Does her dream job come with a price?

In a poignant moment, Gerrit wakes up in the middle of the night in Chicago and reflects: "The Lord only knew how much he missed the quiet nights in Van Dalen, when he still lived on the farm and the loudest sounds were the wind rustling the row of maple trees out on the front drive or the low moos of the cows in line for their first milking.

"Maybe you'd hear one of Marty Middelkoop's raspberry pickers in July or a tractor off in the distance during August haying. And goose music in September, or the soft patter of October rain on the roof. Even Mallory's sweet giggling out in the yard when she and Missy played fetch with a Frisbee. He remembered how the farm spoke to him with every slam of the back-porch screen door....Now he imagined that Joan's soft up-and-down breathing was his winter rain and rustling wind and sweet giggling."

One of the most enjoyable things about Elmer's two protagonists is that they are older than usual for Christian fiction, and they lead interesting, active lives. It's absorbing reading, discovering how two people can reconcile very different pasts and let their love for each other help them create a new future together. And heck --- as Elmer shows --- just because you're over 60 doesn't mean you're not interested in sex anymore! Very refreshing.

The flaws are tiny (he writes Lake Shore Drive instead of Lakeshore Drive), but a totally unexpected turn of events will leave readers in disbelief. Unlike so many Christian fiction novels, you won't be able to say this one has a predictable ending. It's a measure of how much Elmer makes us care about the characters that the final pages are so shocking.

An added bonus is the often humorous epigrams that kick off each chapter. I knew I was going to like the book when it began with a Dave Barry quote: "What Women Want: To be loved, to be listened to, to be desired, to be respected, to be needed, to be trusted, and sometimes, just to be held. What Men Want: Tickets for the World Series."

Elmer is a competent author (THE CELEBRITY and six Christian children's series), and this is another example of his ability to craft an enjoyable story. THE RECITAL is a wonderful addition to any Christian fiction bookshelf.

--- Reviewed by Cindy Crosby. Contact Cindy at phrelanzer@aol.com.

Timing is everything. When Gerrit Appledoorn proposed to Joan Horton, standing in the smoking kitchen she had accidently set on fire, it might not have been the world's most romantic setting. But when she said yes, he knew he'd got it right. Gerrit loved living in Van Dalen, it was home to everything he treasured, but Joan was a city girl. When she had an opportunity to head the department at the Gaylord School of Music in Chicago, how could he stand in her way? Gerrit knew his Bible, particularly the part about "Whither thou goest." So this retired farmer moved to the city. Chicago wasn't ready for Gerrit, and Gerrit definitely wasn't ready for Chicago.
He wore jeans and a cowboy hat in the elite school of music atmosphere. he was vocal and opinionated. He could be sarcastic and judgmental. But in the things of the heart, he was rock solid. You won't forget this story. It made me laugh, it made me cry, and it ripped out my heart and stomped all over it.

The Recital is a lower key story than I usually read, but very touching and sweet. The more I got to know the characters the more I liked them. The hero in the story was a tender hearted farmer and the heroine was a big city musician who was in her element teaching students at Gaylord in Chicago. The story started out pretty hilarious with the heroine, Joan, burning a meal for her sweetheart. Then came marriage and a move. I enjoyed experiencing the adjustments the older couple had to make as newleyweds. Some parts were sweet, yet flirtatious and fun. Other sections of the story were sentimental and spirited, especially their sparring on occasion. Overall, I grew to care about the characters so much that I got all choked up at the end. What a gripping story. It made me think about life, love, and enjoying the moment. I'm glad I stuck with this novel and highly recommend it.

The Recital

By: Robert Elmer

Some books are read to absorb, others to study and still others for times of quiet. The book The Recital by Robert Elmer is like treating yourself to a recital for your mind. When you open the front cover and begin to read, time will pass quickly and you will not want to put it down.

Joan Horton and Gerrit Appledoorn are two very different people with very different backgrounds and a very strong love for each other. Somewhere in the pages of the book they become real, believable people in your mind. Like bass notes blend with treble notes and form a beautiful composition, their lives blend.

Joan is a concert pianist in a small Dutch town in Washington state. Gerrit is a retired farmer. The two travel a journey into marriage that leads them from the comfortable community Gerrit knows to the city life in Chicago that Joan loves. Joan learns the depth of a man's heart when he is devoted to his wife. Gerrit learns when you spend too much time looking to the past you may miss the beauty of the present. Through the laughter, tears, heartaches and joys they learn the true meaning of cleaving to one another.

This is a love story, a life story. It will make you laugh and cry. The characters captivate and drive you forward. When the last page is turned and the book is closed, your heart hears the recital and you will need to hug someone you love.

Widower farmer Gerrit Appledorn and New York Gaylord School of Music teacher and concert pianist Joan Marie Horton have fallen in love (see THE DUET) in his hometown of Van Dalen, Washington. They met when, to earn money while spending time with her pregnant daughter, Joan Marie fills in for piano teacher Linda Klopstra, who is in Romania for a year; his granddaughter is one of her students. They marry, but she has opportunities to teach piano in Chicago.

Gerrit is a farm boy all his life; the big city is not for him, but he also believes he must not stifle Joan's prospects in Chicago; in fact he feels he must encourage her. Will geographic differences end the loving relationship between the big city musician and the rural farmer or can they find a compromise?

The sequel to the virtuoso THE DUET, THE RECITAL is an intriguing realistic relationship drama that focuses on whether love is enough when the participants come from lifestyles that are 180 degrees apart. The issue centers on whether compromise means one or both give up their essence as consensus is out of reach. Fans of character studies with no love will conquer all answer will appreciate Robert Elmer's deep look at opposites attract once the couple moves past the glamour.

Harriet Klausner

The Baby Boomer generation is changing the definition of retirement. Younger at heart than their parents at the same age, fifty is the new thirty, and love can be just as exciting the second time around. And it comes with its own set of difficulties, including new careers.

Robert Elmer serves up a love story with a side helping of humor in this delightful tale of a second marriage as Gerrit and Joan explore their differences and similarities. I laughed at their "mixed marriage" discussions, comparing his Dutch Reformed to her fundamentalist Nazarene as they lobbed scripture-grenades at each other.

But I was most impressed by Elmer's deep understanding of Joan and her psyche. There wasn't a moment in this novel where I didn't believe her thoughts and feelings. His distinct voice for each character remained true throughout the book. His characters are flawed, real people who will steal your heart as they put off their pasts and go forward, often with disastrous results.

I didn't read The Duet, and I'll go back and do so, but it's not necessary to fully enjoy this book. Funny and tender, this is a definite recommended read.