Set in the majestic rain forests of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State, Marjorie Reynold's admirable "Civil Wars" compels the reader's attention in a tautly told arson/murder mystery. The crackling pace of the novel, however, does not diminish the superior characterizations which provide complexity and depth to an otherwise exciting, but non-groundbreaking, novel. Indeed, the psychological tensions of the Moran family -- their origins, impact and resolution -- are the genuine backbone of the novel. Relationships twisted by guilt, abandonment, resentment and resignation become the true focus of the reader's attention; the ever-present dampness and density of growth of the area become symbolic counterpoints to the aridity of human contact the Moran mother and daughter have with one another.

Ironically, this fecund environment (lavishly described by Ms. Reynolds) has generated a remarkably fractured family. The angry matriarch, Lila Moran, capably presides over a logging empire while bemoaning the condition of her personal life. Her son, Jonah, never has emerged as a man, and instead of acknowledging his retardation due to a relatively rare neurological disorder, Lila prefers to rue his adult childhood obsession with Civil War figures. As disappointed as she is with her son, she saves a special animosity for her daughter, Jessica, who has returned home after a failed marriage and an unsatisfying adulthood. Jessica's anguish centers around the tragic drowning death of her father, who perished while attempting to rescuse Jonah, who was precipitously thrown in the water by Lila, in a brutally cruel manner of teaching him to swim. This scar runs like a red thread through "Civil Wars" and only through Jessica's renewal of a relationship with the sympathetically-portrayed Callum Lake is there any chance of healing. Callum, unfortunately, never receives the in-depth portrait he otherwise richly deserves. His adolescent feelings for Jessica serve both as personal and dramatic motivation in the resolution of the arson/murder investigation which professionally absorbs his time.

There is much to admire in Marjorie Reynolds' writing. She can, without questions, probe to the inner recesses of our emotions and provide unflinching portraits of both human good and evil. She is a nuanced writer as well, always writing to make her characters believable. My sole reservations with her second novel are small, but critical. The reader knows, from the first fifty pages, that the plot will be resolved tidily; Lila and Jessica's coming-to-grips with their own unresolved hurt and betrayal appears almost like a soap opera. The author's brilliant first novel, "The Starlite Drive-in" did not have these flaws. Nevertheless, "Civil Wars" is an honorable, penetrating look into a family at war with itself.

Reynolds easily transports the reader into the magical emerald mists of the Olympic Peninsula's temperate rain forest. Her main character, Jessica Moran, is wrapped in a weave of protective love for her brother who suffers from a newly discovered neurological disorder called Asperger's Syndrome.

Jessica's life is further complicated by her difficult but triumphant struggles in romance as well as her mother/daughter relationship. Reynold's characters have depth and courage. It's a wonderful, rewarding, cozy read. Enjoy!!

Marjorie Reynolds' book THE CIVIL WARS OF JONAH MORAN sat on my bookshelf for a couple of years before I pulled it out from the near bottom of one of my many stacks of unread books (as a fellow reader I'm sure you can relate to that). Although I should've read this book when it first came out, I'm glad I waited until now. Jonah Moran has Asperger's Syndrome and two years ago I wouldn't have had a clue as to what this was all about. In the past month I have done a lot of research on this syndrome since the child of a friend was diagnosed with it. I had no idea this book referred to A.S. until I started to read it. When they say there are no accidents, they're right.

Back to the story though - this is a wonderful book. I loved Ms. Reynolds' first novel and was not disappointed with this one. Although there are some complex twists and turns to the plot, she manages them with ease and clarity. The relationships between Jessica and her family are realistic & well-developed and the changes that take place are logical. I've spent very little time in the Pacific Northwest, but I enjoyed reading about the area and the Native American side of the story makes it even more interesting.

I place Marjorie Reynolds right up there with Elizabeth Berg, Jane Smiley, and Anita Shreve in her ability to tell a good story about people you'd like to know.

This is by far, one of the best books that I have ever read. From the moment the first chapter turns the clock back to the summer of 1956, I lived out the remainder of the story through Callie Ann's eyes. Marjorie Reynolds paints a clear and vivid picture of the little white house where Callie Ann lives, and the drive in across the grass that stays open all summer. As I absorbed chapter after chapter, all of my senses shifted into overdrive. It was easy to picture the brightly printed shirtwaister dresses that Callie Ann's mother wears, the hot gravel that lines the parking lot and the dreamy romantic entanglements that play themselves out on the big screen as well as below it. This book puts the reader in touch with the all of the wonderful elements of summer while focusing on the heartache of being twelve years old and not really knowing who to turn to when things get rough. I was even able to put faces on the characters, and would love to see this story made into a movie one day. A beautiful first novel!

has the two ingrediants of a first rate read- a wonderful story, wonderfully told in prose. when i read this book i could smell the popcorn, feel the sweat of teenage hunger, and remember ripping out the speaker (by accident) when leaving. i loved this book, and look forward to reynolds next book with fingers crossed hoping she at least matches the starlite drive-i

I am a twenty-four year old husband, and father, and I've just recently began to really enjoy reading. Although most of the books that I've read have been either action adventures, or romantic adventures, I must say that I now understand why my wife so enjoys love stories. When I first picked up the book to read, I really didn't know what to expect, but within only a few pages I was allready falling in love with Callie Anne. As I read farther into the book, I found my eyes reading every word, while my mind went on a wonderful adventure in rural Indiana. This book brought back memories of my childhood growing up out in the country, and of my young loves. Sometimes I find myself not loving my Wife the way that she needs to be loved, and reading this book really helped me to understand how beautiful she is and that life is too short to take her for granted. Callie Anne also reminds me of how I imagine my little girl to be when she grows up some more. Marjorie Reynolds is a wonderful Author, And I'm looking forward to reading more of her books.

This book was pretty well written. It is the story of a young boy who is sold a lame horse for practically nothing, only to find that the lameness is superficial and that the horse is a wonderful animal. He learns to ride, and has a few adventures, eventually boosting his health and self-confidence. He also learns about judging people according to rumors, and he learns to stand up for himself when the horse's previous owner demands the sound animal back again. This is a nice enough story, although slightly unrealistic. I'd reccomend it.