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NORTHERN LIGHTS, Nora Roberts’s latest novel, is set in Lunacy, Alaska, which has a population count of 506. The people in this town are quite unique; if a storm hits the area, Lunacy shuts down until the bad weather stops. This thought process is alien to one of the main characters, Nate Burke. Nate is a police officer from Baltimore who begins a job in Lunacy as the town’s Chief of Police. He is hoping that the far-off setting will give him the space he needs to recover from the death of his partner while in the line of duty; he is haunted by memories of this incident.
Nate is immediately drawn to Meg Galloway, an independent pilot who has her own set of rules when it comes to men. Complicating matters is Meg’s mother Charlene, who has her eyes (and hands) on Nate while he stays in her lodge. Nate tries to dissuade Charlene (in a gentlemanly manner) while working hard to get closer to Meg. Roberts creates a realistic romance between Nate and Meg, portraying two people who are drawn to each other from their very first meeting.
The minor characters in this novel are also interesting: Peach, the dispatcher who makes cinnamon buns; Professor, the man who always carries around a copy of a Henry James book; the Mackie brothers, who have problems with alcohol and their tempers; and Hopp, the woman who became Mayor of Lunacy after her husband died while playing in a hockey game.
In addition to the characters, setting plays a central role in this story. The harsh weather adds to the isolation that Nate and Meg experience. The cold symbolizes the distance that they initially keep from each other, while the eventual warmth between the two represents the heat that is so essential to survival while facing Lunacy’s harsh elements.
NORTHERN LIGHTS is not just a romance, however; elements of mystery and drama are present throughout. There is a daring mountain rescue, a murder, and the whole psychological process of Nate dealing with his partner’s death.
Nora Roberts has written many books throughout her career, and she has an impeccable talent for writing strong characters who readers care about. NORTHERN LIGHTS is no different; Roberts undoubtedly has another bestseller to add to her growing collection.
--- Reviewed by Melissa A. Palmer (Melissaenglish72@yahoo.com)
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