Author: David Lewis
The story opens up with Stephen Whitaker dreaming about his ex-girlfriend. It covers in complete detail how different his life would have been if he married her instead of his present wife. The three of them, Alice, Donna and Stephen were friends in college and did everything together. He had just asked Alice to marry him, when she ran from him into the street and was killed by a car. The time span of the book was probably about 15 years. At the beginning of the book Stephen’s daughter was young and she get married by the end of the story. The beginning of the book was a slow start, but as the story progressed my interest in the story escalated. David keeps you guessing throughout the book.
The main character was Stephen Whitaker, his wife, Donna, his daughter Alicia, His friend and co-worker, Larry, and his best friend Paul. Stephen was determined not to be a loser like his father. His wife was a very content Christian woman and his daughter was a typical teenager. His friend, Larry, and him were business partners. Their other friend Paul was always drunk.
In the book Stephen is constantly pulled away from his wife by his friend Paul, because he is always trying to rescue him from his drinking problem. With his work, he is always trying to get ahead and get rich, thus pulling him farther away from his family and causing tension among them. I felt there was little change in the characters through out the story until Donna has had enough and decides to divorce Stephen. She moves in with her friend, Sally and encourages Stephen to leave their daughter alone. Eventually Stephen and Alicia make peace with one another and enjoy a good relationship; but they are not without problems in their lives.
The story was written in the first person. This was very important because he tells the reader about everything going on in his life. The setting was in complete detail. I could visualize everything that was going on. Saving Alice was a good story because it makes you realize that materialistic things are not what is important in life, but good relationships with God, your family and friends should be priority. It wasn’t the best book that I have ever read, however I did enjoy it and felt it was a story that made me think about life in general. I probably would read another book wrote by David Lewis, but I would be a little skeptical.
Reviewed by Donna Swanger
chbookshelf April 12, 2006
Stephen Whitaker had grown up with an alcoholic father who was the joke of the town. His father had also swindled money from most of the town. When another drunk told Stephen it was in the blood—that Stephen would grow up to be just like his father—Stephen vowed it wouldn’t be true.
Now Stephen is married to Donna, and they have a beautiful daughter named Alycia who is named after Alice—a woman Stephen has loved and lost. Alycia is inquisitive and keeps asking Stephen about his past and a lot of questions Stephen isn’t prepared to answer. Things start going down hill so slowly that Stephen isn’t even sure when it began. Will he be able to turn his life around to salvage his relationship with his wife and daughter, or is it too late?
SAVING ALICE is a new offering from David Lewis. I haven’t cared much for his voice in the past and SAVING ALICE wasn’t any different. I couldn’t relate to Stephen as I’ve never known a man who spent most of his time in bars and came home drunk. And I didn’t care much for him as a result.
I did care for Donna and Alycia though, and I hoped that things would work out for them. The faith message is expertly woven in and isn’t obtrusive. If you have liked David Lewis’ past books, then you should enjoy SAVING ALICE. This is a heavy book, not easily read in one day.
Reviewed by Laura Hilton