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Title: Very Disappointing
Review: I have come to look forward to Oprah's book choices every month - she has introduced me to so many talented new novelists. However, Gap Creek is not one of her better choices. While the main character, Julie, and particularly her deep faith and the comfort she finds in hard work, seems very real, none of the other characters are at all developed. Particularly empty is Julie's husband Hank, and the relationship between the two of them - I was looking forward to seeing this fleshed out, after all, the book is subtitled "Story of a Marriage" - but the interactions between husband and wife were very stiff and unengaging. At times the details about food, cleaning, etc.-- while enormously interesting -- threaten to overwhelm the plot structure. I think that Morgan did an enormous amount of fascinating research, but that he did not quite manage to write the book he had hoped to.
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