Too Big a Storm

I'm a big fan of all of Marsha Qualey's books, and this may be a new favorite. Brady is an engaging heroine, and her search for answers about her brother had me captivated. I especially love that (without giving anything away) one of the "big clues" found by the agents means something entirely different to Brady, she who knows her brother better than anyone. But beyond the gripping plot, I fell in love with the characters - Sally in particular, whose charisma engulfed me as well as Brady. And Sally's brother Paul, whom we're prepared to write off as a total jerk upon first meeting, but who then became a favorite character as well - I was thoroughly engaged in his own journey. Brady's mom, Father Tom - so many of the characters could've had their own books. As a mom of two young kids, I do a lot of my reading in the tub (alone time is hard to come by!) and I often judge books by the length of my bath. I emptied our water heater two nights running to finish "Too Big a Storm." It is a very good book and a wonderful read. I highly recommend it.

The summer of 1969 is life-altering for 18-year-old Brady Callahan. When she meets rich-girl Sally the night that men first walk on the moon, Sally kisses her on the lips, foretelling an unusual friendship: " ...Did you like kissing me? Didn't do much for me." Sally nodded thoughtfully. "Same, I guess. I want something to do that, Brady. I want to feel something and be shaken up." "Be careful what you wish for." Brady's belief that she can fix every situation is shaken when Sally finally finds her cause as a political radical opposing the Vietnam War. In the meantime, Brady's brother Will, fighting in Vietnam, vanishes. The FBI considers him to be a deserter and a traitor, leaving the family open to condemnation and confusion. Although someone using Will's name writes articles for a newsletter from Saigon called The Deserter Times, Brady is convinced that the writer is not her brother. Where did her brother go? Is he actually a prisoner --- or worse? Brady will start college in the fall. Meanwhile, she works at the local center to assist vagrants, runaways and veterans. Here, she meets and falls in love with Mark, a young veteran. Although the relationship is important to her, it's just one thread of Brady's tumultuous life complete with family relations, peace demonstrations, job responsibilities, friends heading for the Woodstock musical festival, and government investigations into disappearances of people she loves. TOO BIG A STORM is a good read filled with big ideas, set in a fascinating era. Brady, a likeable character in a cast of believably flawed humans (there's not a stereotype in the lot), matures in a realistic and gratifying manner. Recommended! --- Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon