Maxwell Mania: The emotional importance of dogs compared to sisters

 I've left Sarah Maxwell's Moody Book series well enough alone on this blog because the PDF's are mind-numbingly boring.   

If you overlook the complete lack of characterization, conflict or character arc, you are left with repetitive, derivative sermons.    That's understandable.  Since Sarah Maxwell has stuck to writing what she knows, monotony interspaced with sanctimony has birthed ten dull children's books 

On the other hand, we all need a hobby and writing books where being completely unobjectionable trumps interest is certainly fills time better than wondering what the next 50 years of being one of three spinster virgin aunts does.   

Sarah Maxwell, however, has spun off into the "Hill Top Adventures" series of books.   Rather than sticking to mundane Maxwellian topics like "Oh, no!  Our pet sitting client has a rat rather than a dog!", she's moving into deep waters.    

The first book "Finding Change" involves a child's move, the father's potential loss of a job, the main character feeling bad that she's not a super-Christian like her neighbor and refusing to ever forgive her Aunt Nicole for accidentally killing her little sister. 

 Surprise! There's nothing like a cliff hanger to keep people reading! 

Except....this isn't a soap opera.  Emma is gonna forgive Aunt Nicole because otherwise Emma would be a horrible person.  Accidentally killing your niece is bad - but the real crime is lack of forgiveness!

Her newest book "Learning Lessons" combines an instantly forgettable title with this charming plot line:

Emma’s world takes on a new sparkle now that she’s a Christian and learns to forgive Aunt Shannon for the accident that took her little sister’s life. But trouble is brewing with Landlady over Taffy.

The autumn days fly by with adventures at the coffee shop job, helping with Hunter’s leaf business, Hill Top’s city-wide yard sale, and a day at the library. All the while, tension builds with Landlady, and when Emma is faced with her biggest fear, what will she do?

Now, I'm not planning on reading either of these ever - but I'd be much more likely to if there's a huge plot twist when Emma finds out that Aunt Shannon really accidently killed her sister instead of Aunt Nicole......but I doubt it.   That kind of twist requires being allowed to read fiction books or watch films or see plays - and the Maxwells do not do any of those things.   

Instead, we've got a copy error?  A sloppy confusion of character names?

I really truly did lose a much loved little brother to a medical misdiagnosis of septic shock thirty four years ago.   I've spent a lot of time in my life processing the loss of David and looking at how that tragedy affected and affects my life.    

Maybe it's because I'm not the right kind of Christian - but I can't write a sentence that includes the word "sparkle" and the mention of a child's death.   

Actually, that's probably because I write what I know.  I'd probably make equally crazy mistakes if I tried to write a children's story about giving out religious tracts. *rolls eyes*

I also loved my pets very, very much - but my parents were great at making sure we could keep the animals we adopted in our homes before we adopted them.  

Emma's parents - on the other hand - apparently don't have a lease....or decided to get a dog against the lease....or won't move if the landlady changes their lease at the next renewal.....or simply suck at adulting.

At least my parents recognized that my anxiety around change and loss stemmed from my brother dying.   Poor Emma seems stuck with two non-parents and a manically cheerful theology which is a pretty sad commentary on how she was raised.  

Poor thing.  Poor things, really, because Anna and Sarah can't feel great about learning that the thought of giving up Ellie.... I mean....Taffy...... is more stressful than either of them dying. 

Writings give us glimpses into the author's soul.   I'm very frightened of what the Maxwells have done to their kids.