Ruth March and Alex Duchamp are intrigued by each other! Each has something the other dreams about, a stable and adventurous spirit, respectively. Both grow stale quickly after their marriage. They separate after Ruth has had enough of Alex's violent behavior and his ultimate infidelity.

For Ruth it's as if she's lost her youthful love of sensory appreciation of her surroundings, a "fleshly and spiritual frailty" that can only be healed by connecting with the earth. A job with a caring physician and his family, plus the frank and poetic touch of Nettie - a landlady become friend, awaken Ruth to who she really is and what she truly wants in a relationship. Why is she hanging on to Alex, separate but not divorced?

For Alex, his spirit longs for freedom from the rigid atmosphere he knew as an orphan in a French, Catholic orphanage and later as the adopted son of staid parents. Creativity in the theatre restores his spirit temporarily but fails to fill the emotional and spiritual chasm within.

Sounds proverbial, almost formulaic? Hang onto your seats, for this beautiful story evolves realistically, potently and meaningfully into an unforgettable love story worth the wait of every page to that point. In a culture rife with trite endings, how refreshing to meet a talented author who knows how to craft a special story that is poignant without being sickening, intelligent without imitation or condescension and deeply spiritual without being religious!

Ruth and Alex could be any woman or man in America, even if it's just a part or more. Getting to know Ruth and enjoying the poetry in this novel are experiences that soon begin to feel like a gift we want to share and experience ourselves.

Settling starts slowly but winds up packing an unforgettable zap mid-way to the very last page!

Very nicely done, Ms. Cannon!