Downing,Michael. Perfect Agreement
At times this book is a tedious read; however, most of this third novel from a Cambridge, Massachusetts author will engender a thoughtful dialogue about the history and beliefs of the Shakers, the inequities and inconsistencies of political correctness, the importance of family in our personal development, and the complexity of the English language.
Mark Downing portrays Mark Sternum as an earnest spelling and grammar professor in a Boston college who refuses to pass an African-American single mother who repeatedly fails the college's basic skills exam. Sternum is fired and the rest of the novel is a reflection on the events during and after his termination as Sternum seeks another job.
As the main character ponders his fate and the vagaries of academic responsibility when confronting any issue, let alone political correctness, he rediscovers a father who he believed was dead and renews his understanding of the Shaker religion and history which has his father's devotion.
Downey gives the reader a fully engaging character, full of droll commentary and insightful observations, a serene depiction of Ipswich, Massachusetts, and a comical description of Sternum's empty larder, and other characters who populate his life.
The author does ramble a bit too much and jumps around in the narrative of his chapter-long paragraphs, prolonging some exposition which actually is a little too much like real life.
One of the best part of the novel is at each chapter's end when Downing provides witty, concise, and helpful spelling and grammar prompts that both entertain and inform.
Leane M. Ellis, March 4, 1998.
Lucius Beebe Memorial Library - This page last updated 3/05/98 - lme.