Searching for Eternity [Paperback]

Elizabeth Musser (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2007

Forced to move with his mother to the US from France, a young man finds a new life and solves the riddles of his past.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Musser's competent writing marks her latest lengthy foray into inspirational fiction. The novel spans four decades of the life of Emile de Bonnery, a French-born boy who, at age 13, unexpectedly must leave the only home he's ever known for Atlanta in the 1960s. Torn between his belief that his father has abandoned him and his mother for another woman and the idea that his father is a spy, Emile's anger and grief hinder his transition into American life. Then, he meets the odd and strangely attractive Eternity Jones (hence the word play on the title) and is plunged into issues of poverty, racism, alcoholism, faith and abuse. Musser is an excellent writer, but some of the plot developments seem contrived, as when Emile's grandmother pays for a room for an African-American neighbor of Eternity's to celebrate the hotel's desegregation or invites Eternity's family to her home for Thanksgiving dinner. The second half of the too-long novel loses steam. Historical and cultural details enrich the text but the excessive newspaper clippings feel like padding. Although the happily-ever-after ending forgoes any loose ends, Musser keeps the reader guessing about Emile's father until the final pages. Fans of The Swan House should enjoy this.
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Review

"...captivating, full of surprises and set within actual historical events.... I thoroughly enjoyed Searching for Eternity." -- Violet Nesdoly, blogcritics.org

"Musser's pen evokes an ambiance that wraps itself around the reader, drawing them deep into the story and the era." -- Ane Mulligan, novelreviews.blogspot.com

"Searching for Eternity is a unique, complex story.... I strongly urge you to pick up a copy." -- Robin Johns Grant, queenofperseverance.blogspot.com

"The graceful prose matches the tale well. Highly recommended." -- Katie Hart, titletrakk.com

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 428 pages
• Publisher: Bethany House (October 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 076420372X
• ISBN-13: 978-0764203725
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #472,179 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Wrting by Elizabeth Musser, December 5, 2007

By 

Marilynn Lindahl (Orinda, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Searching for Eternity (Paperback)

Searching for Eternity
I have just finished reading this book. In it I learned a lot about the French Resistance movement of WW II. The characters are well fleshed out. The subjects of fear, grief, betrayal,faith struggle, and growing up are handled realistically -- no easy solutions.
I will buy more of Elizabeth Musser's work!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Elizabeth Musser's Best Yet!, November 27, 2007

By 

R. Grant (Macon, GA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Searching for Eternity (Paperback)

I've read four other books by Elizabeth Musser, but in my humble opinion, this is by far the best. There were so many things going on at so many levels that I couldn't wait to keep turning the pages. First of all, the mystery of Emile's father's disappearance runs through the entire book. There's the spiritual story of people suffering abuses in different times, places, and cultures--from Emile's suffering at the hands of racist bullies, to Eternity's abuse from her mother and men, to victims of the Holocaust and war. Such different levels and kinds of suffering, and yet they share similar struggles over leaving the past behind and starting life again.


And then there's the love story between Emile and Eternity. They meet when they're thirteen and form a deep, lasting bond. Both are outcasts at Northside High School in Atlanta--Emile because of his heavy French accent and European ways, and Eternity because of her paradoxical love of culture and "trailer trash" family. A tragedy tears them apart while they're still young, but circumstances keep drawing them together over the years. They're never able to break away from one another, but terrible events in Eternity's past won't let them be together, either. I couldn't wait to get to the end and see what finally happened between the two of them, although I was almost afraid to.


On a more trivial note, I enjoyed reading about familiar places in the Atlanta area. The story continues from 1964 up until the early nineties, and I was in Atlanta during some of those times. Characters ate at my favorite restaurants and attended churches I've gone to. It felt like a trip through my past as well.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars deep look at a changing Atlanta, October 4, 2007

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Searching for Eternity (Paperback)

In the 1960s born and raised in France, Emile de Bonnery, accompanied by his mother, leaves for Atlanta to live with his maternal grandmother. He is upset with the change failing to adapt to his new home. Instead he is angry with his father who be believes deserted his mother and abandoned him for another woman; although at mellower moments Emile romanticizes that his dad is a spy.

However, Emile's attitude abruptly changes when he meets Eternity Jones as he learns how good he has it with the love of maternal relatives. Instead he finds her world is filled with poverty and racism accentuated by alcoholism. As his open minded grandmother shows him by her actions the way to welcome people regardless of race, religion, or economics, Emile learns faith in the Lord's plan keeps Eternity being stronger than he is as he only has material superiority.

This is a deep look at a changing Atlanta through four decades of the life of French immigrant Emile de Bonnery as he sees how much his adopted city changes from segregation to integration ultimately with black political control. The use of newspaper clippings enhance the feel for the metamorphosis, but also slow the narrative. Still this character driven tale provides a puissant relevant glimpse of how Atlanta became the jewel of the south thanks in part to people like Emile's grandmother who proved with her actions that all people matter and Eternity who affirmed the belief that everyone is someone important.

Harriet Klausner