I first had the pleasure of meeting new LDS author Crystal Liechty when she came to the writing conference I helped present last spring. She was involved in a hands-on writing class and all the instructors ranted and raved about how good her excerpt was. We were naturally delighted to hear that her novel had been published, and so it was with eagerness that I pounced on her book.
Our main character is Beth, married to Mike for just a short time. Her good friend JoJo is also getting married, although in a reception hall and not in an LDS temple, like Beth thought she would. What’s odd is that JoJo has never mentioned a reason why she chose the reception hall, although she has always told Beth everything before.
Beth, meanwhile, is having some issues of her own. Life with her husband is wonderful, except she keeps finding herself picking fights with him, and she doesn’t know why. Rather than continuing to self-sabotage, she decides to go into counseling, and that is the thread that weaves the story together – the sessions she has with Dr. Farb, the therapist.
It certainly doesn’t make her life any easier when Charlie, her ex-boyfriend, comes back into town after a year in the Marines. He broke her heart before he left, and now he expects to just win her back, even though she’s married. Beth’s insecurity in her marriage to Mike make her wonder, just for a moment, if she did make the right choice.
Meanwhile, Beth’s sister Lady is keeping a pretty big secret, and Beth discovers why JoJo didn’t marry in the temple after all.
When I first picked up this novel, I was expecting a light, comedic chick-lit book. Liechty combines the humor and self-deprecation of a chick-lit, but she adds an unexpected element of deep introspection as Beth really takes a close look at her life and tries to decide why she is the way she is. I really enjoyed this novel. It validates the fact that sometimes that first year can be filled with doubt and discouragement, and that it’s not a honeymoon 100% of the time. If you’re looking for a comedy with some meat to it, “The First Year” is the one for you.
(This book was published by Cedar Fort in 2006.)
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