POTTER SPRINGS

Amanda got pregnant, so she and Mark, a Baptist minister, married hurriedly. Her ensuing miscarriage begins a painful emotional and spiritual crisis for the couple, both eased and complicated by overly involved in-laws and congregants. This uneven first novel is endearingly sweet and chock full of colorful Texans. For the most part, Carol Monda's narration serves the text, though she only skims the surface of important passages of soul-searching. Her characters are distinct, if neither dimensional nor particularly indicative of the milieu. She plays the drama, humor, and angst nicely, but one could wish for a more idiomatic and empathic approach. Y.R. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 06/ JAN 07]