Reviewer: Sharon Brunner
Edd Tury’s The Fall and Rise of Sierra Quinn offers a view of the difficulties in human relationships and the financial challenges faced by many businesses today. Divorce has served as a heartbreaking challenge for many people. Today’s farmers have been struggling with the high cost of fertilizer due to high gas prices. Many are facing possible financial ruin like The Black Industries in this book. The main characters in the story were Sierra Quinn and her friend Annie, Sierra’s two children, Brad and Jenny, Cole Black, and Jimmy, a man who had to be fired by Cole. The story is set in Big Moon, and upon research, there is no town by that name in the U.S. Tury mentioned a motorcycle accident involving one of the main characters outside of L’Anse, Michigan, which is in the Upper Peninsula (U.P.). Big Moon could have almost been anywhere, including the U.P. Tury lives in the lower peninsula in Charlevoix County. Tury brought to life in an informative and interesting way the struggles of a divorce and the downside to an economy that wreaked havoc on a multitude of businesses.
Three of the main themes laced throughout the book were honesty, the economy, and sexual desire. Sierra faced a dilemma of being vulnerable if she portrayed her true thoughts to Cole. She decided to be honest with him and went to his home to tell him. Jimmy worked for Cole at Black Industries and he went behind Cole’s back and implemented spyware on the company’s server so he could spy on the employees, which infuriated Cole. He was fired for the aforementioned reason and for lying on his resume. The economy was mentioned on many occasions and Black Industries, faced financial problems. Cole and Sierra expressed strong sexual desire for each other. Tury clearly delineated the feelings of the characters in the book.
“When Harry Meets Sally” was the movie that came to mind when reading this book. Harry and Sally ended up sharing an 18-hour car ride from Chicago to New York City. For years they coincidentally ran into each other in various places. Harry believed men and women cannot be just friends. They fought the union until Harry realized he was deeply in love with Sally. In this book, Sierra struggled with their relationship that she felt was going to fast after her divorce was final and she wasn’t sure how she felt about him. Cole struggled with giving Sierra a promotion and not upsetting the other staff. “The Devil You Knew” by Elizabeth O’Roark was a book that came to mind when reading this book. A lawyer took a job at her ex-fiancé’s law firm and found herself working alongside his attractive brother. Sierra thought Cole was extremely attractive and she imagined being intimate with him. In turn, Cole thought Sierra was attractive. They were both drawn to each other.
This book relates to my life in some ways. I went through a divorce back in 1993. Even though it was my idea to leave my husband, my life became a rollercoaster after that decision, with a succession of both bad and good days. My feelings were often hurt in the relationship when he betrayed me on multiple occasions. Tury defined Sierra’s feelings very well. I could really relate to how she felt. Big Moon had a small-town feeling in the book, and I have lived in small towns all my life.
Tury clearly delineated the trials and tribulations of running a company in today’s economy and the ins and outs of a newly established romantic relationship. The Fall and Rise of Sierra Quinn was much more than a typical romance. The larger plot in which Sierra saved the day for Cole’s company defined the importance of good leadership and went beyond the sexual encounters. A good day went to hell when Jerry, Sierra’s ex-husband, called and said he wanted a divorce because of another woman. Sierra rose above that hardship in this modern-day fairy tale, which had a happily-ever-after ending. Two lost souls found each other and fell in love.
Title: The Fall and Rise of Sierra Quinn
Author: Edd Tury
