Naomi Dawn Musch

What sort of novel would you read twice? With so many new books releasing every day, it's not often I consider giving a book a second go-round. Yet, some stay on my shelf because I hope to revisit them someday.

I did that last week. I'm a big Angela Hunt fan, especially when it comes to her historicals. I first read Afton of Margate Castle at least ten years ago, and it's one of those books that will always remain in my library. But when it recently turned up as a free read for Kindle, I couldn't resist downloading. I took a glimpse, remembering the characters rather quickly, and before long I was hooked again.Caught in the story of a young, innocent girl dealt a harsh, evil hand, I was as bound by the tale as if I'd never read it before.

Why? What magic does Ms. Hunt imbue in her style that can hook a reader two times around?

Hunt is one of the reigning queens of Christian fiction, yet Afton of Margate Castle was her first novel written for adults. She'd spent previous years writing in other venues.

So how did Hunt so successfully craft Afton's story? She followed the first two rules of great story-telling.

***Hunt finds what is great and strong in her characters and shows it in large or subtle ways at the onset. Then as she continues rounding out their lives, giving them even further dimension, she drops them into bigger-than-life situations that are seemingly beyond their ability to handle. But the situations serve to nurture those seeds of greatness inside them and force them to grow.

Here is young Afton, a simple villein and eldest sibling in a large family on her lord's estate. Only a child, she is proven to be sweet natured, uncomplaining, and hard working. But her uncommon beauty and poise have caught the eye of the earl's wife, Lady Endeline, who desires to raise another child, a little girl. She takes Afton from her family, as is her right, and raises her as a companion to her own plain, stubborn daughter. But the lady's desire for Afton soon turns to jealous aggravation as Afton's noble nature doesn't seem to rub off on the true daughter, Leinor. On the other hand, it does catch the eye of the mistress's son. But Lady Endeline will not allow a bond to form between her son and the daughter of a plowman. The woman's desire for Afton soon turns to bitterness toward the girl, and before Afton is even a teenager, she is thrust into forced marriage to the town miller, a jealous, brutal man.

I don't want to give anything away. If you haven't read it, you should. But the point is, Hunt's characters are like gladiolas in a sea of dandelions. They stand out. They're vibrant, developed, alluring. Most of all they have strengths that may seem small or common, but dropped into tenuous circumstances, traits such as industriousness or compassion become determination and honor.

***The next rule of good story-telling Hunt follows once she drops her characters into a sea of untoward circumstances, is to send out scenes in rippling waves -- cresting, receding, cresting, receding. Each and every scene moves the story forward, but just as the protagonist seems to balance on the brink of certain joy, Hunt plunges her again into the abyss of misfortune. With each betrayal, heartache, and yearning, we care more and more so that we must keep reading, we must keep riding those waves, hoping for a favorable outcome.

As young Afton is enjoying both the familial chores and joys of carefree childhood, she is ripped from her home to live in the castle and her loving mother is forced to reject her. Then, as she learns to trust lady Elendine and love her son, Elendine casts her into a terrible marriage and her son is sent off to the crusades. When Afton finally finds some measure of peace and joy in raising her own child, Elendine interferes yet again.

And it doesn't stop there. Wars, revenge, secrets and betrayal, the passing of years -- all keep Afton from knowing forgiveness, trust, and true love. As each scene wave brings us closer to the shore of resolution, our tension grows.

Angela Hunt is known for her ability to bring the unexpected to her readers.

More, of course, is required to make a novel sing, but by hinting at greatness in her characters, and by moving the story forward to climactic moments within each scene then pulling back to leave readers breathless with anxiety and hope, the first two rules and perhaps the biggest are accomplished.

May we all learn such craft and technique as we--

Write On!

"...moving and powerful love stories that evoke your emotions and reduce you to tears." - Review

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