True Women/Large Print

Rating:
Summary: Compelling Story, Disappointing Prose
Review: While Janice Woods Windle's story of Texas pioneer women is engaging, the book overall is handicapped by Windle's shortcomings as a writer. First, Windle merely tells the story, rather than drawing the reader into it. Throughout the entire novel, the reader is constantly aware that she is an outsider looking in. This failing detracts from the otherwise compelling plot. In addition, Windle's characters are flat and one dimensional; each of the women she describes is a heroine, devoid of shortcomings. Hence--the story seems unbelievable, much like a fairytale. Windle's prose also leaves much to be desired--it is simplistic, overstated and frequently cliche. Finally, Windle skirts around serious social issues without actually confronting them--for example, True Women acknowledges the evils of slavery and spousal abuse--but avoids any substantive discussion of the effect each has on its victims. In sum, True Women is a frustrating reading experience: Its compelling plot leaves the reader wanting to know more about the characters and their world--but Windle's stilted writing style fails to provide such insight.