Guest Review: A Life That Fits by Heather Wardell

Judith’s review of A Life That Fits by Heather Wardell.

Twenty-eight-year-old Andrea returns home from a business trip to find Alex, her boyfriend of fourteen years, nervously waiting for her. Assuming he’s finally going to propose, Andrea’s instead horrified to learn he’s been cheating on her and is leaving to be with the other woman, who he calls Andrea’s opposite. 

At first Andrea’s paralyzed by shock and sadness, but the business analyst soon forms a plan: change every last detail of her life and become her opposite so Alex will come back to her.  It’s a challenge at first, but soon Andrea’s loving the changes she’s making, the new activities she’s doing, and the new people in her life. But will she change enough to get Alex back? And if she does, will he fit into the wonderful new life she’s creating for herself?

This is the third book by Heather Wardell I have read and reviewed and once again she has “hit the ball out of the park!”  Once again she has created a character who most readers will recognize–either because we have known people like Andrea or because at some point in our lives we have lived in somewhat the same circumstance.  Andrea is a young woman who has  lived as society and the prevailing cultural perception of women has dictated:  getting an education, working at a nice job, and subjugating her entire life to the whims and dictates to her man.  That may seem to be an extreme statement, but our contemporary culture has long viewed women as extensions of men and taught so many of our young women that they are best served when they allow the dominant concerns of their spouses, fathers, brothers, etc. to guide them in their life choices.  So it was with this young woman.

Andrea’s relationship with Alex has endured for 14 years–half her life.  Every bit of talent, joy, enthusiasm for one activity or another has become acceptable or rejected according to Alex’s likes or dislikes.  Her entire life revolved around this man whether she realized it or not.  It was not until she was dumped for a woman who Alex claimed to be his “soul mate” and her complete opposite, that Andrea was forced to look at herself, her life, the people she did or did not have in her life, and her need to change.  At first all the changes were for the purpose of wooing Alex back into her life.   But as is often the case, the changes she made in her life were really taking her back to what she was in years past before Alex smothered all the life out of her.  Funny how he really didn’t like his “production” when he was finished with her, did he?  In truth, she began to come alive for the first time in 14 years and even to the point that she was willing to repaint the living room of her apartment, removing the dull color that Alex preferred, so that her living space began to reflect her and not him.

This novel is an in-depth look at a life that was nearly snuffed out emotionally by one man’s selfish needs to be the center of another’s life.  But when he moved on, Andrea was given a new opportunity to become what she was capable of being–the life she really needed to live because it would reflect her and not anyone else.  Even when she discovered a memory box among some items stored by her family, she realized that she had been a sassy, enthusiastic, inquisitive and lively young woman when she graduated from high school.  The years with Alex had  turned her into a woman without an opinion about much of anything, one who had become dull and malleable, and one who was no longer attractive to anyone, much less herself.

I was absolutely enthralled as I read about Andrea’s evolving life, about the way she began to re-discover the heart and soul of herself, the courage to act and think differently, the ability she had always possessed and set aside to be creative and to express herself through music, home arts, and dance.  She truly became a new person.  This novel chronicles that evolution as Andrea moves in and out of friendships, learns to trust her instincts, and as a new friend counselled:  listen to her gut.  It is  a book that would be wonderful for all women to read, even those of us who have been blessed in our relationships and who have been impacted by powerful thinkers.  Young women, especially, would do well to read this book–what a picture of what not to let happen to oneself all in the name of “love.”

There are some wonderful supporting characters in this novel and people who I came to think of as metaphors for the kinds of people we all hope to meet and have in our friendship circles.  There are some that represent those who are self-motivated, who think only of their own ambitions and advancement, and who are only happy when their ideas and opinions are being foisted on others.  Kudos to Andrea for learning and figuring out how to live in a world where those kinds of people can do damage if allowed.

Most of all, I had the sense all through this book that there was an underlying energy and life-force that was trying to express itself through Andrea.  And as she continued to fill her life with joy, creativity, music, friends of sterling character, and even some possible men of interest down the road, she stands as a testimony to the fact that everyone should and must live the life that “fits” them . . . the life that is building them up as individuals but which is also an expression to the world of their true nature and worth.

This novel is truly a romantic piece with the emphasis on the true nature of love and friendship, of a life that reads like a finely woven garment, with the flare and verve that comes when nothing is allowed to rob one of that which gives true joy.  I think Ms Wardell has written a wonderful novel and even just in the style and literary skill with which the novel is written she has demonstrated that she can hold her head high among those who have gifted us with their writing talents.  I can’t recommend this novel enough.  

I give it a rating of 5 out of 5.

You can read more from Judith at Dr. J’s Book Place

This book is available from CreateSpace. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

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