Becoming Lin
by Tricia Dower
published by Caitlin
2016
ISBN 978-1-987915-07-5
Becoming Lin is Tricia Dower's follow-up to her earlier work, Stony River. While Stony River was a coming-of-age story, Becoming Lin is a coming-into-her-own story.
After the trial for her attempted rape, Linda
Wise wants a new life where she can make a difference. After hearing a young preacher, Ron Brunson, talk about the Freedom Ride a few years before, she decides she wants to marry him. Despite warnings from her mentor to finish her degree, she does marry Ron and is soon off to Minnesota to a be a pastor's wife. Ron, though, is very liberal in his thinking, and encourages her to finish her degree while they both help drafter dodgers escape the Vietnam War. Despite the excitement of protests and having a young son, Linda - now Lin - still wants more and sets off to find it.
Once again, Dower does an excellent job of capturing the feel of the time period. However, having all of the focus on one character, even though Lin is a very well-fleshed-out character, takes away some of the intensity that existed in Stony River.
Becoming Lin is still a good read, even if it is missing some of the intensity of its predecessor. Tricia Dower is definitely a woman's historical fiction writer to look out for.
Rating: 3/5
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