I was shocked to read that "it isn't a story until something bad happens". What? All this time, I thought stories were a good thing. I don't want to hear about something bad. Do I?
Ok, it turns out I do. I didn't notice but it is true. You tell me that this story is about blue skies and easy living and I will shelve it for later. Meanwhile, I need to get back to those bad guys and bad girls (gender equality and all) and see once again that good (tends to win, eventually) over bad. But I am a little worried about this time.
I have been seeing ads for the TV show "The Crown" and the one called "Victoria". Lynn's book club is reading "Kitchens of the Great Midwest". I knew that the current Queen of England is the longest reigning monarch in the history of Britain, which goes back quite a long way but I also knew that the previous longest reign was Victoria's.
I had an open evening and I decided to try the PBS show "Victoria". She is an attractive young woman, 18 years old. She is being awakened by her maids to be informed that she is now the queen of the British Empire. It is 1837. Can she handle the job? Is it too scary? She is rather innocent and has little idea of the schemes and gossip and twists and turns of the politics involved. Yikes! When I was 18, I was a college sophomore. I am confident there are many wonderful things about being the ruler but I am glad I didn't have the job dropped on me at that age.
I looked up "Kitchens of the Great Midwest". I knew it was a novel and I admire the title. Wham! Trouble right at the start! Mom's gone. That's trouble right off. We need Mom. We benefit from Mom. A high percent of the time, Mom warms, encourages, straightens what's wrongly crooked and curves what ought to be. The blurb writers know their business. Hit the reader with a problem. Throw in a second problem before we even get started on the first one. Can we handle this? Is it too scary? Too dangerous? What we are going to do about so many difficulties and obstacles?
I have noticed that I care about whether the hero saves the lovely maiden, even though I know there is no hero and no lovely maiden. I really hope that slimeball gets it and gets it good, even though I know there is no slimeball. I don't care. I still want that guy captured, punished. He is so bad, so rotten, don't even try rehabilitation. Remember? They tried that already and look how that turned out. Tune in tomorrow to see if they find his hideout. You'll be surprised.
