Letter from Point Clear

by Dennis McFarland

A brother and sister return to their Southern hometown to rescue their younger sister from her marriage to an evangelical preacher--only to find their expectations turned completely upside down The Owen children long ago left their gracious family home in Point Clear, Alabama, in favor of points north. But when their father takes ill, the youngest, Bonnie, who has spent a decade in Manhattan as an unsuccessful actress, returns to care for him. Soon after his death--unbeknownst to her siblings--she falls in love with and marries a handsome evangelical preacher, and together the couple takes up residence in the stately Owen mansion.
When they receive Bonnie's letter announcing her marriage, Ellen and Morris head for Alabama, believing they must extricate their troublesome sister from her latest mistake. To their surprise, they find that Bonnie's charismatic young husband, Pastor, has already saved her from her self-destructive ways, and Bonnie is now nearly three months pregnant. But Bonnie has only recently informed Pastor that Morris is gay, and Pastor quickly undertakes a campaign to "save" him as well . . .
With grace, warmth, and humor, Dennis McFarland reveals the common ground shared by these flawed yet captivating characters--setting them all, and the reader with them, on an unlikely course toward redemption.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Book Club

304 pages, Hardcover

First published August 7, 2007

About the author

A 1975 Brooklyn College graduate, McFarland also attended and later taught at Goddard College and Stanford University. At Stanford, McFarland worked as teacher of creative writing from 1981 to 1986. His fiction has appeared in Best American Short Stories and The New Yorker. McFarland is married Michelle Simons, and together they have two children. He lives with his family in Massachussetts.

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

First thing I've read that has- as one component to the story- a married gay couple that doesn't exist solely for comic relief in the story. But enough already with independently wealthy characters. Why do authors do this? Wishful thinking? Is employment counterproductive in plot development? Characters can't realistically take the long, introspection-oriented vacations that are central to some of these stories if they had real jobs, I suppose.

[Dave · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is truly one of the worst books that I've ever been cursed with reading
I only finished it simply, it would appear, because I'm a glutton for punishment

It showed some promise but...
It would have been nice if even one single character proved even remotely likable
While I think that I caught part of it's message (or lack there of), it proved that some books should not in fact see the light of the publication day

Friends, it's going into the recycling bin so don't ask to borrow it

[Betsy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. The opening setting is eastern Massachusetts where I grew up and the characters seemed familiar, but as I read deeper into the book it became trite and predictable. There was no deep exploration of themes and the characters seemed like caricatures. I was really disappointed in it.

[Anya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm still unsure of how I feel about this book overall. I really enjoyed the authors writing style, I found it easy to read. I enjoyed reading about the inner conflict of each conflict, as well as how the characters interact. I also enjoyed reading from different characters perspective. What I disliked about the book is that nothing happens. Sure, two people traveled across part of the country, but really, it was ALL dialog. It was talk, talk and more talk. I was ready to pull my hair out at one point, agonizing over the idea that nothing was happening. Finally, the group went swimming at the beach. A sweet something going on besides talking! So, overall I leaned more towards the side of actually liking this book, but with reservation.

[Carol · Rating 2 out of 5]

Despite the good reviews in the media, I was disappointed when I finally read the book. I did not know what the primary area of conflict was placed -- the marital relationship of the older sister, the acerbic tongue'd gay brother's relationship, or the worries over the youngest daughter's new marriage and its potential implication on the family wealth. I finished it, but don't see the message of the story.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very enjoyable, just this side of too easy. McFarland offers up characters who are immensely likable and sympathetic (maybe too much so?). You may find yourself exasperated by actions, but it's nearly impossible to dislike any of actors. The novel is set early on in Cape Cod but moves quickly down to a beachfront manse outside of Mobile, Alabama. McFarland tosses out a charismatic evangelical preacher who is a dreamboat to boot, a witty & erudite gay professor and his two sisters, one fluffy and forgetful but full of hidden moxie, the other a slightly bland, too-thin poet (I kept picturing Sally Field!). McFarland's affection for his characters is evident in the way they all care deeply for one another and in that he never lets anything really tragic happen to any of them (dramatic yes, profound, no). Everyone is well-off, tanned, smart, attractive and life's nasty bits are solved with a slice of lemon meringue pie or a glass of sweet tea.

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this novel, a woman and her brother receive news that their wayward younger sister has suddenly married an evangelical preacher in their hometown in Alabama; the two make a trip down south to visit the newlyweds, but problems arise when the preacher is informed that the brother is happily married to another man. I really enjoyed this novel--it really captures the feel of the slow days at the end of summer, and the small human dramas McFarland captures are very compelling. A/A-.

[Elysabeth · Rating 1 out of 5]

It sucks when you read a book that blows your mind (like The Monsters of Templeton) and then follow it up with something that blows. This is one of those cases. This book moved slowly and tediously, and not much happened. The uber-wealth was over the top, and I didn't like ANY of the characters, except for maybe Macy, the housekeeper. I don't think I'll be reading anything else by this author. And, I'm on the hunt for a GOOD book.

[Christi · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was a good story with interesting characters
there is no "big resolution" at the end of the book and I like that change from the usual "everything neatly wraps up on the last 5 pags"
you are left hanging wondering what is next for the characters and how they changed and grew from the experience in Alabama

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of those books whose plot is so deliciously predictable. All the things I wanted to have happen actually happen in this book. It was as if I were writing and reading it at the same time. But as is the usual irony with getting exactly what you want, I finished the book feeling kind of unsatisfied.

[Molly · Rating 1 out of 5]

Family dynamics were somewhat interesting. Gay, straight and religious ideas were explored. Overall, too soap opera-ish.

[Mike Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great little family drama about a wealthy group of siblings from Alabama, (Point Clear on Mobile Bay) who reunite after the youngest daughter writes a letter to her accomplished brother and sister, who are living in Massachusetts, announcing she has married a fundamentalist preacher. The principle conflict arises from the fact that the middle sibling is gay. This would set up as a very predictable and ultimately trite and preachy plot line if not for the fact that McFarland refuses to allow his characters (with one exception - Mrs. Delk) to become clichés. For example, the preacher is a young man who is not at all harshly judgmental and is completely open to examining his own motivations In addition , there is no need, unlike much of the "Southern" literature of recent years, to create outlandishly colorful characters that simply do not ring true. All of which makes for a far amore compelling and interesting story than if the author had taken the easy way out. Very little is resolved by the end of the novel, but the reader can't help but feel optimistic about the ensuing lives of the characters. Well done.

[Grace · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kind of Meeehhhhh and squeaking in as a two star ... I debated putting it down and stopping the read a couple of times but forged ahead. Why I don't know, perhaps because it was short and I knew I wouldn't be devoting days to the read. The ending left me cold and I won't be looking for other McFarland books anytime soon. But still there were moments and some aspects to the clear spoken southern characters who went back to their roots in Alabama that I identified with and kept me reading.

An explanation of my star rating.
5= Truly cream of the crop. Amazing. In a wondrous realm of their own
4= Special and well written. Truly a good/maybe great book, but not a rare 5 star wonder.
3= Moments of brilliance, a pleasure to read. I'd recommend it.
2= An average book... since I'm not usually reading mass market romances/mysteries, they are average in MY range of books. (I admit that sounds snarky)
1= Why did I bother to read this? I was lured past a certain point and I finished it. "Finish what you start" has been replaced with "ditch it if it's not worth my time" but for some reason I slogged on.

[Sally Andrews · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not really sure how I feel about this book. I didn't dislike it, but I didn't especially like it, either. The characters were just odd. It was beautifully crafted, and there were parts I liked a lot. But I didn't like it enough to rate it higher than three stars.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

“As far as I can tell, camp takes everything that’s already hard about life and makes it harder” (3).
“…further evidence that most people think quotation marks are for decoration and don’t have any particular meaning” (4).
“ ‘But I don’t think I’ll phone her. I prefer vaguely to specifically worrying’” (20).
“ ‘I agree,’ Richard said, continuing to eat meticulously, tediously, the way one had to eat rainbow trout” (22).
“He opened the freezer and began emptying ice trays into a stainless steel mixing bowl, which he would put into the freezer after refilling the ice trays. He suffered a persistent fear of running out of ice…” (32).
“ ‘I reckon they’re like the giraffe in that regard’” (107).
“…the gray pier’s unvarying lesson on perspective” (115).
“ ‘The Prayer Team?’
‘Yes,’ said Morris. ‘I’m note entirely sure, but I think they meet on a field somewhere outdoors and pray. Afterward they take showers and sit around in towels and watch themselves on videotape’” (118).
“She did seem, as Ellen had observed earlier, more composed, but Morris, so far, was having trouble telling what exactly she was composed of” (121).
“ ‘But how do you know if you’re being guided? How do you know you’re not just doing whatever you damn well please and because you prayed for guidance you just imagine you’re being guided?’” (137).
“ ‘She’s growing up—waking up to reality, if that doesn’t sound too trite—and losing the ability to take refuge in any kind of childish fantasy that life is simple. For example, she sees that to love something means to fear losing it. She’s starting to experience the uneasiness of knowing there’s so little in life we can ever be sure of’” (195).
“Pastor heaved a great sigh and pressed his lips together, as if he meant to prohibit himself from speaking” (200).
“He thought he would either have to sashay over or swagger, and he was having trouble choosing” (214).
“At the gas station, a homemade sign hung above the pumps that read ‘YOU’ ARE OUR BEST CUSTOMER, and Morris, next to Ellen in the backseat, leaned close and whispered, ‘Observe the ubiquitous misuse of quote marks; it makes me doubt my very existence’” (214-215).
“How strange, the absurdity of sex, he thought, the animal starkness of it, and how strange that humans brought to it so much brouhaha, angst, and legislation” (217). *This marvelous passage reminds me of Kurt Vonnegut’s Deadeye Dick.
“Because Ellen sat beneath the umbrella, and because the umbrella was red, she appeared to be horribly sunburned” (219).
“ ‘I see,’ said Morris. ‘Further evidence that history often records foolhardiness as bravery’” (225).
“ ‘Well, those two questions are inextricably linked,’ said Morris. ‘The unnerving thing about truth is that it’s historically mutable—and capitalizing the T doesn’t make it not so. It used to be true that the sun revolves around the earth and that the earth is flat and held up by columns. The church famously put a few folks to death for saying otherwise. Is it true? Asks you to think about how and when something written thousands of years ago…translated from languages people don’t even speak anymore…still applies today. And that’s the stuff of soul-searching and scholarship’” (227).

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't really know what to say about the book. I picked it up because it is about where I grew up. My parents were both born and raised in Point Clear. I just couldn't help but be curious why a whole book needed to be written about it. I caved, I bought it. Don't read it if you need action, rather than just enjoying a glimpse into the family dynamics of three siblings from the area. I liked it because I could relate to the area, imagine exactly what the scenes were, laugh at the descriptions of the extremely religious fundamentalists, the limited views, the ignorance of the world outside of their grasp, limited, of course, by the view that one must reference the Bible every fifth word. I stayed with it because I was in "their" script for awhile. I don't know that I would have liked it if it hadn't been for the connection to the South, though. On the negative side, I kept waiting for something surprising to happen, to get a twist thrown at me--to learn that the evangelical minister that one character's sister had married is actually gay, even though he was trying to "convert" her gay brother "out of the lifestyle." Laughable, I know. Nothing like that ever emerged. Darnit. I do thank the auther for good character development. The characters will stick with me. But next time, I hope he focuses a little more on plot development.

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

So what happens when two much older siblings receive who years ago escaped (were banished?) receive a letter from their younger sister (whose history of screwing up every relationship and career she has attempted) to let them know she is now happily married and settled into the family estate in Alabama? Of course, they high tail it down there, albeit reluctantly, to see for themselves if the new husband (a charismatic and younger evangelical preacher with no formal training) is really just after the family money. Toss in that the brother has been legally married to his partner in Massachusetts for many years and the preacher husband attempts to "save" him. And the sister has marital woes of her own she is dealing with. Of course, there is the family money issue that they skirt around but never really address. Overall, this is a quick read and the characters, although never really explored in-depth, were enjoyable enough (even if a bit whiny at times). I'm not sure how I felt about the ending - after a dramatic scene with the preacher, there is really no resolution and the reader is left wondering what really happens to this family.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Letter from Point Clear explores the relationship between three siblings: Ellen, the oldest and a poet, Morris, the middle child who is also gay and Bonnie, the youngest who went home to care for their father before he died. A few months after their father died Ellen receives a letter from Bonnie letting her know that she is now married to a pastor of a local church. Since this is very out of character for Bonnie and she has notoriously bad taste in men, Ellen and Morris go back to their hometown of Point Clear, Alabama to check on Bonnie and work out their father's estate as well. This book starts out well and is very interesting, but the last chapter was kindof a let down. There are still a lot of unanswered questions left for the reader. Overall, I thought it was good and the writing was very well done.

[Little · Rating 4 out of 5]

So Morris and Ellen are the sympathetic characters, except a lot of times they aren't. They're caustic and obnoxious, and I don't sympathize with their attitudes at all. And Pastor is sort of the antagonist, except a lot of the time he's the character I relate to. Everybody is much more complicated and nuanced than the surface level conflict would indicate. And in a lot of ways, every issued this book touches on, it sort of skirts around. Nobody actually deals with anything. Instead, they bring up the conflict, stare at it for a while, and then wrap it in tissue paper to deal with later. A fascinating read with a lot of meat.

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice writing and good characters, very little plot. I didn't mind so much that there was no real resolution, but I sure wanted something more permanent by way of change to the preacher character--he was so young and immature. It didn't make any sense that Bonnie married him. The author's good writing masks a lot of stuff that just isn't believable. Finally I agree with what others wrote about the independent wealth. That makes the characters a lot less accessible to the average person (ie me).

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

What happens when an evangelical preacher from Alabama marries into a family with nonbelievers and lives in conflict with evangelical Alabama traditions? Does everyone have to hide their discomfort with the in-laws? Or can there be an earnest and frank dialog without compromising first principles?

I enjoyed the book, although it felt like a short story that got stretched. I particularly liked the way the characters crossed the chasm of belief and faith as respectfully as they did.

[Carole · Rating 3 out of 5]

I agree with the "rich" comment. But that aside, this book can certainly lead to some interesting discussion on religion and homosexuality. The book does let the characters act noramlly. I like the way the siblings called each other on things but where supportive if needed. Outside of all the money they seemed pretty typical.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Featured in O magazine, Aug 2007.
A great summer read: interesting characters, great locale. A brother and sister head south to "save" their little sister from her marriage to an evangelical preacher. The preacher is set on saving everyone, especially his wife's gay brother. No one is unchanged by the encounter.

[Jamie Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A charming family story with a motley cast of smart, searching, flawed adults. Its understated portrayal of the complicated and often anti-climactic struggle for personal and family redemption makes it worth reading; the petulant and witty reflections of Morris, one of the main characters, makes it priceless.

[Michele]

Strike 3. This the 3rd book in a row that I had to stop reading. This time it was just because I didn't like the storyline. I wasn't interested in a woman who wanted time away from her husband, or her sister who married an evangelical preacher. Said preacher was no doubt going to try to sway the two sisters' brother who was gay. Way too many other things I want to read

[Marilyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do love McFarland's writing style, the story flows nicely, yet the character development is a bit lacking for me in this book. They seem a little shallow, but perhaps this is intentional since they are so rich that they only work if they choose. Also a few of the story lines seem frivolous, never expanded, with no reason for being there.

[ingrid · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wish I could remember where the recommendation for this came from! I recall a comparison to To Kill A Mocking Bird??? What a laugh! Two adult sibs, 1 a gay male, the other a disaffected married female go to visit their screw-up sister in AL after she writes a letter that she has married a (young, attractive) evangelical style preacher. Characters kind of 1 dimensional.r

[Gypsy Lady]

With its finely evoked tableaus from Wellfleet to the Alabama coast, "Letter From Point Clear" is a gratifying, emotionally resonant novel -- its heart and longing steeped in the Old South, its sensibility years and miles beyond.

Gail Caldwell is chief book critic of the Globe. She can be reached at caldwell@globe.com.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. One of my favorite quotes:

"...she generally wanted to think about things before she talked about them, while he was more inclined to learn what he thought from what he heard himself say."

The two characters mentioned are a brother and sister and he is the one reflecting in the quote.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was on my book of books to read because somewhere I read that this family of three kids was like Salinger's Glass Family. It did have a similar style of prose... I guess. The kids, now grown, were very bright. It was good...no Salinger though. I didn't like, or maybe I just didn't get, the ending.