Glimpses of Paradise
Zee Miller, a minister’s daughter, dreams of becoming an actress and rejects a marriage offer because she knows that although she’ll have love, she’ll never attain her dream. Doyle Lawrence, who expected to enter a prestigious university and become a lawyer, is crushed by Zee’s rejection. Escaping this small-town Nebraska setting in 1916, he joins the army after being caught up in the prevalent patriotic fever. Later, scarred by his military experiences in World War I, he returns to the life of a vagabond at the same time Zee is beginning her career as a star. Miles apart on the economic and social ladders of success, Zee and Doyle meet the brutality and disillusion caused by war and the more abhorrent values behind the road to riches. Doyle discovers comfort in faith after several exposures to the famous preacher, R. A. Torrey, and finds closure with Zee in a most unexpected fashion. An excellent portrayal of social, military, theatrical, and spiritual life in the early twentieth century, this novel is a great read!
