One of Morgan-Cole's strengths is her ability to write a character
in a way that makes us feel we know them, and that works well in
historical fiction when there is no adventure or quest to make you
turn the page. What makes you keep turning pages is that you get to
like Esther Johnson, and you want to spend more time with her and
get to know her better. Yes, you also want to see what happens to
her, but it doesn't seem as important as just being with her and
enjoying her world.
Esther Johnson is not without faults and weaknesses. But then
characters without any faults or weaknesses are harder to like,
aren't they? Even though none of the characters in this book are
sugar coated, I still found myself sympathizing with them. Even
Jonathon Swift, who I was told most people hated by the end of the
book, was someone I could identify with. He was portrayed as a man
who wanted more out of life and thought he deserved more. He was
selfish, perhaps, but no more selfish than anyone with a any amount
of ambition. The only point of the book where I could say I
strongly disliked Swift was the last page, and even then his
actions were in character.
The Violent Friendship of Esther Johnson deals with our place in
the world and how we see that place. The Truth about Esther is
revealed little by little, as much to Esther herself as it is to
the reader. This is true of all of main characters especially
Jonathan Swift and Becca Dingley. There is also something to be
said of The Truth About Love and how difficult it can be for us to
know it. Esther's understanding of love grows and changes as she
ages, and sometimes she is not sure which understanding is correct
or best.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I hope to see more writing from
Trudy Morgan-Cole in the future