Cape Light (Cape Light Series, Book 1)

From Publishers Weekly Billed as the Painter of Light, Kinkade claims to be "the most collected living artist" and the heir apparent to Norman Rockwell. This sugarcoated modern fairy tale reflects the pastel-tinted idealism of Kinkade's paintings and is clearly intended to extol the power of prayer as put forth by Protestant Christian doctrines. Taking temporary leave of her Boston bank job, 32-year-old Jessica Warwick returns home to the idyllic nearby village of Cape Light to help her older sister, Emily, the town's mayor, care for their domineering mother, who has suffered a stroke. Thinking of her budding romance with sophisticated Paul Copperfield, an older career-oriented man, Jessica is counting the days until her mother recovers sufficiently so she can leave this prosaic, Bible-thumping town and return to her job in the city. Outside of the church, the quotidian life of the community centers around the Clam Box, a local eatery operated by Charlie and Lucy Bates. Charlie, a vocal critic of Emily's leadership, is mounting a campaign to oppose her in the upcoming election. Unbeknownst to Emily, Sara Franklin, the college girl waiting tables at the Clam Box, is the daughter she gave up for adoption two decades ago, following her husband's tragic death. Meanwhile, Jessica finds herself falling for Sam Morgan, the town's jack-of-all-trades. As Jessica's growing attraction to churchgoing Sam conflicts with her career-oriented dreams, the plot sags under a surfeit of trite, blatantly proselytizing Christian subplots and syrupy sentimentality. (Mar.)Forecast: With his chain of galleries across the nation, Kinkade has recourse to built-in channels of marketing and distribution, so expect healthy sales. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. From Booklist It's rare that someone can move easily from one medium to another, and popular "painter of light" and devout Christian Kinkade is no exception, in spite of receiving help from coauthor Spencer. Things get off to a rough start as dozens of Cape Light residents are introduced in the first chapter, making it difficult to distinguish the main from the secondary characters, but eventually Jessica and Sam emerge as central figures. Career-minded Jessica has temporarily returned from Boston to Cape Light to nurse her mother back to health. She soon meets Sam, the town handyman, and despite their differences, they fall in love. Jessica admires Sam for his small-town values, which include helping friends in need and attending church regularly, but can she give up her dream of a cultured, big-city life? It takes a big storm and some serious prayer to help them find the answer. As intriguing as their predicament is, Cape Light falls flat due in part to the fact that the authors take pains to introduce secondary characters and their conflicts but never resolve them (Is a sequel planned?), and mainstream readers may be put off by the surfeit of heavy-handed religious references. The Kinkade painting on the cover will attract his many fans, but it's likely that the content will disappoint. Megan Kalan Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved Thomas Kincade is America's most collected living artist, a painter-communicator whose tranquil, light infused paintings bring hope and joy to millions each year. Each painting Thomas Kincade creates is a quiet messenger in the home, affirming the basic values of family, faith in God, and the luminous beauty of nature. Katherine Spencer is a former book editor who has authored numerous novels. Read more