Promises Prevail by Sarah McCarty

I read Sarah McCarty’s Promises Prevail for the first time last autumn. I read it again last night. All of it. It is my first re-read of 2006.

This is how I felt after reading it the first time:

You know that feeling that overcomes even the strongest (intellectually, emotionally) women at times? The one that makes you literally want to crawl up and into a man that makes you feel safer than anyone or place on earth? The trace of hope you hold (along with your breath) when you think you've found that man, that safety? Then the relief you feel--however tenuous at first--once you get there? That is how this story made me feel from nearly the first page.

This is how I felt after reading it again:

You know that feeling that overcomes even the strongest (intellectually, emotionally) women at times? The one that makes you literally want to crawl up and into a man that makes you feel safer than anyone or place on earth? The trace of hope you hold (along with your breath) when you think you've found that man, that safety? Then the relief you feel--however tenuous at first--once you get there? That is how this story made me feel from nearly the first page.

While I do enjoy re-reading a favorite title now and again, I rarely fall under the same spell the second time around. I don’t expect to. I’m usually just looking to spend some time in the company of characters I enjoyed once, basking in the comfort of a familiar face or place.

In reading Promises Prevail again, I did find the comfort I was seeking. But I also found myself swept up in an emotional tide just as fierce as the first one. Again, I was so utterly captivated by Jenna's chance for happiness, I could not look away--not even when hearts were breaking all over the place.

McCarty’s characterization is so rich here, that the reader rides the same razor sharp edge between vulnerability and strength that Jenna does. In scenes equal parts disturbing and soothing, McCarty illustrates both the depth of Jenna’s emotional pain and her fierce determination to leave it behind. None more beautifully captures this struggle than the scene wherein Clint forces her to eat dinner.

For Clint, McCarty wields a brush of patience, painting him with the one trait every emotionally battered woman craves. Earlier in the Promises series, McCarty created a hero known for his patience and humor—weaved so tightly as to become indistinguishable. In this installment, McCarty lends her hero the same patience, but laces it with grit. It is a combination perfectly suited to drawing Jenna back into the world.

McCarty’s supporting characters—those we’ve met previously and a few new acquaintances—are drawn with the same care. I appreciated their depth and purpose, marveling at how adeptly McCarty uses them to add layers to Clint and Jenna. I also appreciated McCarty’s clear insistence on anchoring these characters to this story—refusing to mimic one of today’s most popular trends. I enjoy the anticipation of more series installments as much as the next person. I do not however, want to be pulled out of the story I’m reading by characters who jump in front of the camera, waving their arms and trying to call attention to themselves.

On one final characterization note, I have to mention the dog. Giving the dog equal footing as a member of the household showed true, true insight. You may laugh. But I know firsthand what it is to have a dog that commands this much attention, this much credence. I suspect McCarty also suffers this knowledge firsthand.

Aside from stunning characterization, I will forever re-read McCarty’s titles for their emotional impact. In scene after scene, McCarty epitomizes Jenna’s struggle between open-faced pain, deeply etched scars and the threadbare hope that compels her to live. In one such scene, Clint and Jenna begin their honeymoon in the barn, in a sexual encounter that places the reader in the same reluctant but determined mind of Jenna. It was tender, but disconcerting. Then, when Jenna mistakes kittens for rats in the barn’s darkness, she erupts into terror, startling the reader with its intensity. 'Sensory reaction' doesn't begin to describe the power of this scene, this book.

This book is an emotional read. No question. Whatever your state of mind, McCarty’s characters will drive you beneath the surface and leave you wrung out. As a reader, I am both awestruck and grateful for just such an experience. And for once, I can say that this re-read—Promises Prevail--delivered a powerful repeat performance.