Exuberance Is Beauty
Fiction Podcast
A Story of Love and Loss in 1940s Oregon
Oregon, 1940s: Eve Miller, a young war widow, rebels against the ordinariness of womanhood in the post-war era. Eve is enlightened as she succumbs to the sensual temptation of an adulterous affair. In its aftermath, Eve Miller's life unravels and leads to unexpected violence and moral isolation. Exuberance Is Beauty, is a contemporary interpretation of Adam and Eve's biblical allegory and Eve's fall into desolation
Featuring
Donna Barrow-Green Creator, Producer
Darlene Sorensen as Eve Miller
Eric Schneiwind as Jeff Lambert
Shelley Bryant, Carmen/ Mary / Various
Ross Laguzza, Harry / Frank / Various
Exuberance is Beauty -- 5 beautiful stars.
"This story is intense! The time period is 1940s and the setting is
Oregon. The main character, Eve, is whisked away to the middle of
nowhere to have her illegitimate baby by a married man who seduced her.
When he finds out about the child, he starts terrorizing her. He is a
classic sociopath, sucking her in and manipulating her. His character
infuriated me, and the author did a great job of provoking strong
emotions from this reader. At one point, Eve even ends up in a mental
hospital. That section of the book was of great interest to me. The
ending of this story was perfect, in my opinion. It was realistic and
matched the story itself. I love the way the author pulled it all
together, and gave us a terrifying glimpse into the mistreatment of
women in the 40's and the utterly disgusting way mental health systems
were run. The author's writing was beautiful, despite the dark and
intense nature of the story. The characters were well-drawn and the
story immensely powerful. Looking forward to reading more from this
author. Definitely a 5 star read."
Amazon Customer Review
A Searing Tale
"This is a socially important and poignant tale of a war widow's seduction. She is impregnated and then abandoned by a clinically slick and selfish bastard, a married man without conscience. As the book moves on, I hoped he had done his worst, I hoped he would move on to other conquests. But he kept coming back.
The widow is sometimes strong
and clear in defense of herself and at other times unable to tend to
her self-interest. In the 50s in small town Oregon things were somewhat
different than now. But the protagonist, frail as she is, dangles from a
pendulum--she swings within the reach and orbit of close and very smart
friends and then off to a terrible weakness in the face of the
tormenting married lover who seduced her. This pendulum never stops
swinging. Her weakness, indecision and need for love are terribly
maddening and deserving of much empathy. I cheered for her to make
herself the center of her life.
The controlling beast of a lover
is able to deliver her to the mental health professionals and her
decline worsens. She's a captive of the system without legal or moral
help on the way."
Amazon Customer Review