Shelter Me

Starred review from October 31, 2011
Fay’s winsome debut comes to life in this audio adaptation thanks to the absorbing narration of Marguerite Gavin. Her voice is rich, somewhat cynical, and an excellent match for this story about a 38-year-old woman coping with grief and rage after being suddenly widowed. Gavin doesn’t overdo the unique voices she creates for each character, an appropriate strategy as the novel hinges on Janie’s intimate perceptions of the people in her life: her sweet preschooler; her invasive but well-meaning aunt; the buttoned-up priest for whom she develops an attraction; and the contractor who comes to build a porch for Janie and tries to win her heart. Fay’s prose is filled with unexpected shots of wry humor, which Gavin capably matches note for note. One particular highlight is Gavin’s rendition of Janie’s sarcastic yet vulnerable first-person journal entries that are woven throughout the narrative. An Avon paperback.

October 6, 2008
After Janie LaMarche's husband, Robby, dies in a motorcycle accident, the 38-year-old Pelham, Mass., widow embarks on a year of transformations in Fay's wise and inspirational debut. Going through the bewildering and painful cycle of grief and anger while trying to hold it together for her children—preschooler Dylan and toddler Carly—is no walk in the park. Enter Tug Malinowski, an attractive contractor Robby had hired to build a screened-in porch to surprise Janie. Tug is divorced, childless and attracted to Janie while she's tempted by Fr. Jake Sweeney, who has “a secret life of misery” and fears casting aside his vow of celibacy. Fay's mingling of Janie's pithy journal excerpts with crisp traditional plotting adds a nice depth to Janie's journey to emotional healing. The concerns of single motherhood after sudden tragedy come vividly to life, and as Janie learns to appreciate everyday miracles, readers will be charmed.