Doesn't She Look Natural (The Fairlawn Series #1) (Paperback)

by Angela Elwell Hunt (Author), Angela Hunt (Author)
Key Phrases: prep room, tomb room, west chapel, Ginger Sue, Daniel Sladen, Charley Gansky (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
When Jennifer Graham learns she has inherited real estate in Florida, she never imagines it is a funeral home, especially one in need of so much repair. Thomas, Jennifer's husband, recently left her for their nanny, and she is at a crossroads in her life. A newly single parent with two boys, she sets off to settle her uncle's estate and sell the Fairlawn Funeral Home, but things don't go so smoothly, and Jennifer may find that this new life God has thrust upon her may be the answer to her prayers. Award winner Hunt's latest book (after The Elevator) is a topnotch inspirational tale that maintains a lighthearted touch. Anyone who has had to rebuild a life after an unexpected loss will appreciate the honesty of Hunt's characters and uplifting plot. Highly recommended for CF and women's fiction collections. -- Library Journal

Product Description
How do you cope when God asks you to bury a dream? In this new series by best-selling author Angela Hunt, readers will meet Jennifer Graham, the no-nonsense chief of staff for a Virginia senator who quits her job after a divorce and finds herself an unemployed single mom. Forced to live with her mother until she can find work on Capitol Hill that does not involve her gregarious ex-husband, her efforts are stymied until she learns that she has inherited a funeral home in picturesque Mt. Dora. Jennifer journeys to the small Florida town with her two sons and her mother, never dreaming that within a mortuary she will discover she has inherited a rewarding career that teaches her far more about life than death.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers (August 2, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1414311699
• ISBN-13: 978-1414311692
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #437,457 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Funeral home surprises, July 25, 2008

By	Gayla M. Collins (Sheridan, WY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Doesn't She Look Natural? (Fairlawn) (Paperback)

Jennifer Graham's hubby abruptly annouces their marriage is over. Impetuously, Jenny packs her bags and two boys to move to an inherited piece of land that boasts a Herculean rundown mansion, once a funeral parlor. YIKES, not what they were expecting. Without the recourse to move back to Virginia, Jenny decides to make this enormous "Fairlawn" into a bed and breakfast. Many events impede this endeavor including that 12 other owners of B&B's in this small tourist town are NOT amused and less than inviting to her plans.

An elderly employee who has obligations to fulfill promised pre-paid funerals resides with the Graham family working in the confines of the funeral rooms. Curiosity drives Jenny to peek, watch him, and become fascinated. Soon she is doing a great deal of the work, and Fairview Funeral Home rises from the dead.

Many plotlines of other characters, the deceased, and the children, keep a spirited plotline flowing.

This is a Christian offering, but not in the least bit preachy. Also it gets rather graphic about how bodies are embalmed so if you are very squeamish be warned. I am, but my fascination with the story kept me going.

This will be a series. I recommend this read and hope you all find it as interesting, amusing, and intriguing as I did.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An unlikely inheritance yields unexpected gains..., September 4, 2007

By	Ruth Anderson "Book Reviewer" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Jennifer Graham never expected to be a single mom, but that's exactly what happens when her husband leaves her for their nanny and serves her with divorce papers. Left reeling and clinging to a faint hope for reconciliation, she quits her high profile job on Capitol Hill in order to re-group and care for her two sons. While the divorce is being finalized, Jennifer and her boys move in with her mother -- a temporary fix that puts additional strain on their already often-volatile relationship. When the job hunt yields no leads, Jennifer is thrilled to learn that a great-uncle she never knew existed names her as his sole heir. However, when the inheritance turns out to be a dilapidated funeral home, and the prospects for flipping it with a profit on the real estate market are nil unless she undertakes major renovations, Jennifer's life takes a turn she never saw coming.

Though the cover has a wonderfully retro, chick-lit feel to it, the first Fairlawn novel is anything but easily dismissed "fluff." Doesn't She Look Natural? is a completely engrossing novel, the poignant and often funny story of Jennifer's journey to yield her will to God's greater plan for her life. She's an entirely relatable heroine -- a believer whose life has gotten so busy she's forgotten how to be still and listen for that still, small voice of God. Every character and relationship in this novel is so well-drawn they practically leap living and breathing from the page. Hunt outdoes herself in the creation of Mt. Dora -- the town and its people possess an undeniable quirky charm, but they never fall into the realm of caricatures. And Jennifer's rather prickly relationship with her mother is one that I think will ring true for a lot of women. Their journey towards a greater understanding and appreciation of each other is one of the novel's greatest strengths.

Hunt's use of a mortuary as the catalyst for Jennifer's turning point is a stroke of genius. She not only gives readers fascinating tidbits of information about the "mechanics" of the funeral industry, but she also paints a heartfelt picture of how a business that deals in death can truly be a ministry to the living. Jennifer must learn to surrender and bury her broken dreams before she can begin living life anew. What she learns at Fairlawn is a powerful reminder that for believers, death is not something to be feared - in fact, everything Jennifer learns about dying teaches her how to really live.

Most of the novel is written from Jennifer's perspective using first person, present tense. I can't think of another novel offhand that I've read which uses this point of view combination. If a first person point of view isn't believable and relatable, I have trouble getting "into" the story. Happily this isn't the case with Hunt's latest release. Her strong characterizations and storytelling abilities shine so strongly in Doesn't She Look Natural? that I couldn't help being utterly absorbed by Jennifer's story. Jennifer's adventures at Fairlawn continue in She Always Wore Red, set to release summer 2008.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Imagine sharing your house with dead people, December 10, 2007

By	Deborah "Books, movies, and Chinese Food" (Reston, VA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Jennifer Graham was working as an aid for one of the top senators in the country. But her life is soon changed when her husband divorces her and she has to take custody of their two sons and move in with her mother. Funds are getting low without the support from her ex-husband. Just when Jennifer's about to give up, she learns that she's the recipient of the most unusual inheritance. A distant relative has left her the Fairlawn Funeral Home in small town Florida. Jennifer uproots her family from the big city to go see what she can salvage from this deal. Once they get to their new destination, they soon learn how their lives will be changed forever.

This was one of the most interesting concepts I had heard for a book. A story set in a funeral home? Two things came to mind: "My Girl" and every horror movie about dead people. Luckily this book was more the former than the latter. Jennifer was definitely more braver than I ever would be about living in a funeral home. Not that I have anything against the dead, but sharing my living space with them is not an ideal situation. I also love the cover for this book. It's very unique and really catches your eye. I think it's a book that you can't help but notice on the shelf because of the cover. It looks whimsical and chick lit-like but the story is more intense and serious. Many Christian novels do not portray those who are divorced in a positive light. It seems that the thinking of "forgive and forget" is still prevalent in a lot of people. Never mind that people were unfaithful or abusive, wives especially seem to be shown as being the one at fault. So it was refreshing in this story to see that the main character is divorced but not because she wants it. The novel is also written uniquely: both in first person from Jennifer's POV and from the other character's viewpoints as well. That way you could see things from everyone's perspective. The ending of this story is very shocking and really affects the reader as well as the characters. The characters are very memorable, each with their own quirks that will captivate the reader. This story is typical Angela Hunt: wonderfully written, a unique storyline and a message that will have an effect on you long after you finish the book. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. Until then, I shall continue to ponder over what I learned from this book. Highly recommended.