After Anne

February 18, 2002
In this debut inspirational novel about the faith and friendship of two smalltown North Dakota women, fresh writing gives a familiar plot new life. Olivia Marsden is a columnist for the Brewster Banner, but secretly longs to write a novel (which the prologue hints that this book becomes). She's not good at relationships, but when perky Anne Abbot moves to town, the two form a tight-knit friendship. However, their joy about Anne's first pregnancy soon becomes fear when Anne is diagnosed with breast cancer. As Olivia spends more and more time helping Anne, her own family slides into chaos in her absence. Suddenly, in a jarring transition for the reader, Olivia drops her friendship with Anne. In confusion over her life, Olivia turns to Oprah Winfrey's television program for guidance, which rather improbably helps Olivia figure out her past. When she realizes her faults, Olivia makes amends with Anne, but Anne's cancer is back, and the end looms near. The novel is told in alternating chapters of first-person narrative from Anne and Olivia, which makes it a bit lengthy and occasionally repetitious. Readers may also have a sense of déjà vu if they've read Jamie Langston Turner's excellent Some Wildflower in My Heart, which has startling similarities in plot and characterization. But the author's voice is distinctly her own, and although Anne's eventual death is telegraphed from the first page, Henke's poignant writing will still make even the most jaded readers reach for the Kleenex.