Review – The Utterly Unacceptable Atrocity of Isabelle Marsden by Nan Sanders Pokerwinski
Synopsis
All Isabelle (Belle) Marsden wants when she moves to Kansas is a place to retreat and heal from an ugly #MeToo experience. But a chance encounter with a free-spirited artist draws her into a community of colorful characters who soon have her lobbying to rescue their Summer Solstice parade, conducting surveillance at a roadside zoo, and paying visits to an outsider artist’s sculpture garden (S.P. Dinsmoor’s Garden of Eden in Lucas, Kansas). Inspired by Dinsmoor’s mad creativity, Belle begins building her own peculiar assemblage. As she uncovers her hidden creativity—and madness—her strange creation lands her in trouble with her landlady, the city zoning department, and even the police. Ultimately, her path to balance relies on help from that crew of characters who might themselves be called crazy—and on her newly redefined self.
Amazon
Review
This is an intriguing tale that covers a variety of topics from mental health to the #MeToo movement.
Belle is escaping from life at the suggestion of her friend Miranda. What she doesn’t expect is to uncover a creative passion that helps her work through past experiences and make new friends in the process. This motley cast of characters adds dimension and humor to the book. They also help Belle realize that she is worthy of so much more. In her encounter with these new friends, she learns more about herself and that she must take charge of her life.
The book addresses touchy subjects, and it was hard to watch Belle spiral in the name of art when so much more was going on. Art was an outlet for her to express her feelings about what happened, but it was misunderstood by many. Luckily, her new friends understood that art can be interpreted in so many ways.
There is a mention of a sculpture garden in Lucas, Kansas, which is an actual place. If you are in Kansas and can stop by, you might find some inspiration for this story. Art is subjective, and everyone sees something different.
This novel borders on literary fiction, which is normally not my preferred genre. However, once I was immersed in the book, I had to know what happened to the zoo, Belle, and her sculpture.
We give this book 4 paws up.
About the Author
Nan Sanders Pokerwinski is a former journalist who has appreciated unconventional art and eccentric people all her life. Her blog Heartwood celebrates creativity, connection, and contentment. A daughter of the Heartland who grew up in Oklahoma and lived in Kansas, she spent one pivotal year on a tropical island, chronicled in her memoir Mango Rash: Coming of Age in the Land of Frangipani and Fanta (Behler Publications, 2019). Nan now writes from Newaygo, Michigan.
