“You might believe that you must stop loving Eden, but that’s not true.
We can love even when we know that love will never be returned.
We are allowed to love someone even if that person is gone.
What we miss is their presence, but that doesn’t mean we must stop loving them.”
–Grandpa
Eden Valmont is now thirty years old when a friend from college calls to inform her that Clayton (Finn) Fincannon who is an ex-flame from their college years wrote a book about their time together. Surprised, overwhelmed, and flabbergasted Eden downloads the novel to her Kindle and begins reading. The story Finn writes pertains to his years in college, the love he has for Eden, the missionary work he performed in Africa, and letters written between him and his grandfather that they place in a mason jar.
Finn is pining for Eden over several years after she leaves him with no reason or goodbye seems a little far-fetched from reality. Firstly, Eden leaves giving no explanation or contacting Finn for at least five years and secondly, Finn continues his unrelenting love for Eden all this time not considering other relationships with someone else. The sentiment is there, the one-sided love is there, Finn and Eden’s selfless compassion for other people is there, but somehow the storyline does not quite gel and seems as if something is missing. I liked the way the author delivered the story line as a novel within a novel with Grandpa as my favorite character sharing his wisdom. This novel is for the sentimental who love reading about undying love with fairy-tale endings.
I received this book free through the Litfuse Publicity reviewer program from William and Keat Publishing in exchange for an honest review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission Guidelines.
About the book:
What if your old college roommate called, raving about a book someone sent her, calling it the most beautiful book she's ever read? "But," she said, "it's about you." The author is your college ex.
In The Mason Jar, Clayton Fincannon is a Tennessee farm boy raised at the feet of his grandfather. He and his grandfather leave letters for each other in a Mason jar on his grandfather's desk---letters of counsel and affirmation. When Clayton attends college in Southern California, he meets and falls in love with a dark debutante from Colorado. However, when an unmentioned past resurrects in her life and she leaves, Clayton is left with unanswered questions.
Clayton goes on to serve as a missionary in Africa, while he and his grandfather continue their tradition of writing letters. When Clayton returns home five years later to bury his grandfather, he searches for answers pertaining to the loss of the young woman he once loved. Little does Clayton know, the answers await him in the broken Mason jar.
A story about a girl who vanished, a former love who wrote a book about her, and a reunion they never imagined.
Written for the bruised and broken, The Mason Jar is an inspirational romance that brings hope to people who have experienced disappointment in life due to separation from loved ones. With a redemptive ending that encourages us to love again and written in the fresh, romantic tones of Nicholas Sparks, The Mason Jar interweaves the imagery of Thoreau with the adventures and climatic family struggles common toDances with Wolves, A River Runs Through It, and Legends of the Fall.
About the author:
James Russell Lingerfelt is the author of The Mason Jar and writes articles for The Huffington Post. James connects with readers at his blog, Love Story from the Male Perspective, and divides his time between Southern California and his family's ranch in Alabama.
Beth Wiseman
