Christina Adam's LOVE AND COUNTRY is a complex book with complex
characters, yet is written in a simple prose depicting the beauty
of a small quiet ranching town in Idaho. The story takes place
shortly after the Vietnam War, and the backdrop of this small town
helps add to this tale of alienation and acceptance.

Kenny Swanson and his mother Lenna (Lenora) are newcomers to this
small Idaho town. Kenny has just turned fourteen, and while it is
difficult for all teenagers during this phase of life, he also has
to deal with being new in school, yearning for a father who rarely
visits, and wishing he could participate in his only real passion:
the local rodeo. Because they don't have any insurance yet, his
mother has asked him not to ride for a few more months, at least
until the insurance kicks in. He has promised to abide by her
wishes.

However, he finds himself gravitating towards the rodeo grounds
where rodeo star Roddy Moyers works. Roddy is a hero in this young
boy's eyes and so Kenny has quite a pleasant shock when he meets
Roddy and is encouraged to ride. The other men tease Kenny when he
admits he has promised his mother that he wouldn't, and of course
this does nothing for his self-esteem. He hides his anger from them
as they heckle and laugh at him. He's angry not only because they
have made fun of him, but because they have also made fun of his
mother.

In another part of town, Cynthia Dustin and her parents are
preparing to attend a funeral for the Lattimore baby. There is
obvious tension between daughter and father, but it is not clear
why. The bulk of her story comprises an odd relationship between
them, and it is not until the very end of the book that everything
is revealed to Cynthia and the reader. There are hints of some form
of abuse in her story, but nothing is ever said outright until the
concluding chapters. The clues throughout the book are mostly from
Cynthia's behavior and feelings, her thoughts of unhappiness, and
the hopes of a better life away from her parent's home. But even
Earl's behavior towards his daughter and his obvious disdain for
her comes as a surprise to the reader, as it is hard to believe
that a parent could hate a child as much as Earl hates
Cynthia.

The moment of truth is revealed when Cynthia learns of an event in
their lives that caused a rift so extensive that there was no
happiness left in Earl to give to Cynthia. It is after Earl's
near-fatal heart attack when Cynthia learns the truth about her
father and why there was so much hatred coming from him.

Roddy in the meantime has made his acquaintance with Lenna and a
romance soon flourishes to Kenny's embarrassment. On top of dealing
with his mother's potential sex life, he is also coping with the
loss of his father, a man who never came through with any of his
promises to Kenny. This results in Kenny lashing out even more,
turning his anger and resentment towards his father into rebellious
behavior that causes great grief for his mother and nearly costs
him his life.

Kenny's friendship with Cynthia does more harm than good, and the
fact that Cynthia had relations with Roddy does not help at all. It
creates a complex set of social connections that seems to push the
two teens to spiral out of control.

The writing in LOVE AND COUNTRY is beautiful, and life in this
small Idaho town is certainly a far cry from life in the city that
this reviewer is familiar with. The story itself is written in such
a way that there does not seem to be any connection at first
between the main characters, nor does there seem to be a single
theme throughout the book. But upon finishing the last page, it all
comes together and one sees this work as a coming-of-age novel,
with themes of acceptance and forgiveness in a world where there is
often no control over one's own life.