Faithful

Genre: Fiction

This is the story of Shelby Richmond. As a teenager, she caused the car accident that rendered her friend, Helene, comatose for life. This one moment in her teenage life causes an avalanche of self-hatred, self-harm and loneliness that stays with her well into her 30’s. There are a few people in Shelby’s life on whom she can rely. Her mother is her constant supporter, and her friend, Ben, always says the right thing. Shelby’s friend, Maravelle, teaches her that when you open your heart to others, they will be there for you. Shelby is a lover of animals and the ones she rescues, rescue her right back. This is the story of a life broken and mended through the power of love and friendship.

I love the premise of this story: the idea that when you need love and can’t give it to yourself, the love of others can keep you going until you can find it within yourself again. This story is a little too perfect and too contrived. Good relationships are built on trust and consistently good interactions, but Shelby, for many reasons, isn't trustworthy and isn't consistent, and yet everyone in Shelby's life seems to be able to continue to support her. I'm not sure how much sense that makes. Nonetheless, Hoffman’s story is well-written and the story itself is compelling enough.