A Scattered Life by Karen McQuestion

". . . a beautiful literary novel that will certainly captivate readers . . ."

This is most assuredly a beautiful literary novel that will certainly captivate readers with outstanding characters, and a look at life that they will not soon forget.

The author first introduces us to Skyla Plinka. Skyla is one of those “babies” that was moved around a great deal by her father when her mother passed away. She is currently working as a waitress in a Mexican restaurant; she loves it so much that she keeps her resignation letter in her pocket at all times and simply changes the date every once in a while. There is nothing she wants more than to quit and find a “stable” life that will make her happy. One night at the restaurant a brawl breaks out, and Skyla is shoved to the ground. Her hero – a man who suddenly appears above her – becomes the man who will offer her the most stable conditions that have ever existed in the free world.

Thomas is beyond reliable. The man has been living in the same town all his life; his job is secured; and, he even knows exactly how to treat his young daughter and wife, Skyla, so that they always feel “taken care of.” The only odd thing about Tom seems to be his mother who, after losing one of her children, has taken it upon herself to stick her nose into almost everything that Tom does, including spying on his wife.

Soon, a young family moves into their neighborhood and Skyla is extremely excited. The woman, Roxanne, has five boys, and Skyla falls quite easily into a new friendship with this fantastically funny mom whose life is a roller-coaster of noise and havoc. Roxanne, however, loves the havoc. In fact, she thrives on it. The one thing she wants more than anything is to have a little girl to round out her “troop,” and she tries with all her might to convince her husband that if five kids is good, six would be ideal. By spending time with such a free spirit, Skyla (against her husband’s wishes and thoughts) becomes more independent. She takes a job at a psychic bookstore where she cleans and does the artistic window displays that bring people into the store in droves. Risa Towers, the owner of the bookstore, says she “knew” that Skyla was on her way to save her because the psychic “reader” she has on staff told her that was going to happen.

Skyla falls in love with not only her job, but the characters that frequent the small store. She barely notices that her mother-in-law, Audrey, is spying one her almost every day, trying to figure out all the “bad” things that Skyla is doing to Audrey’s son and granddaughter by taking this strange job and hanging out with these odd people.

This wonderful novel takes a look at life from all directions. From the reliable dependability of a hard-working husband, to a look into the way “karma” affects all of us as we meet “opposites” along our journey through life who we absolutely fall in love with and call our best friends. Skyla is an intriguing young woman who shows us all facets of her world. Readers will be drawn into her everyday decisions, and the way she handles everything that comes her way.

Amazon Encore is a fantastic publishing program; they take exceptional literature that has been overlooked by the “big” publishers, and re-introduces these fantastically unforgettable tales to the public. Readers will be extremely grateful that Amazon decided to choose this lovely tale to add to their list.

Reviewer: Amy E. Lignor