I’m not sure how to classify this masterpiece literary novel; it’s a story of love, relationships and wonder, but it is not a romance novel. The story uses magical realism, but it is not fantasy or science fiction. I agree with other reviewers who’ve compared it to The Time Traveler’s Wife or The Story of Edgar Sawtell, perhaps even a touch of the movie, Enemy Mine.
Our main character and the narrator of this story is Evelyn Roe, who as an older teenager has to take over and run the inherited family farm in rural North Carolina during WW II. The rest of her family remains a short distance away in town, where her father and brothers work in the cotton mill. Evelyn works the garden and milks the cow to provide food for the family in town.
Author Rhonda Riley paints a vivid picture of farm and family life without going overboard with verbose ramblings. Riley also gives remarkable descriptions of feelings and emotions.
"Grief is a powerful river in flood. It cannot be argued or reasoned or wrestled down to an insignificant trickle. You must let it take you where it is going. When it pulls you under, all you can do is keep your eyes open for rocks and fallen trees, try not to panic and stay face-up so you will know where the sky is. You will need that information later. Eventually, its waters calm and you will be on a shore far from where you began, raw and sore, but clean and as close to whole as you will ever be again".
― Rhonda Riley, The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope
The story starts simple enough with Evelyn describing her family, their life in rural South Carolina and the simple events that lead to her moving to live on the farm by herself. Shortly after her move, the story takes a big turn.
During a wild, winter rainstorm Evelyn rescues a man she believes is badly burned and disfigured, from a mudhole on the farm property. This is where the magical realism enters; it is not fantasy with wizards or magicians, fairies or unicorns. It’s magic I find easy to accept and to suspend my disbelief. The disfigured man quickly heals but behaves as a newborn babe – with a limited understanding of this world.
The story of Adam Hope is the relationship that Evelyn and Adam grow into. It is a wonderful tale – not sweet and syrupy, there are fears and challenges, there are threats and secrets. You can’t help but root for Evelyn, Adam and their children.
The story spans the life of Evelyn from her teen years until she and Adam have raised their daughters and Evelyn is enjoying the company of grandchildren on a Florida horse ranch. All the characters are well developed and relatable. It is easy to picture them and relate to their personalities. Adam is different, he is not ‘one of us.’ Adam is a man of the land and nature, who has a gift for communicating with horses and never loses his wonderment of human experiences.
Many times I had to stop reading, take a breath and a few moments to say; ‘Dang, this woman (the author, Rhonda Riley) knows how to write.’
In closing, I repeat that I consider this novel to be a masterpiece. Rhonda Riley has given us an enchanting story that sucked me completely in. Her writing style and prose is terrific and an inspiration for me.