Catherine Snodgrass has a way with words. Her ability to manipulate the English language to produce vivid description is excellent. From the first line in THE MARRIAGE COMMITTEE, I was able to imagine the setting, the characters, the action, and feel the emotion that was emitted from this work of Historical Fiction. Setting her story in the Old West, Ms. Snodgrass brought history to life with her deft skill in THE MARRIAGE COMMITTEE.

Belle Marshall just buried her mentor, Cottonwood Bend’s only doctor. She had been working along side him as a healer and learning the ropes of medicine, and as a progressive thinker didn’t have time for thoughts of love, marriage, or children. With the death of the only doctor, the role of town doctor and the responsibility of the citizens of the Old West town fell on her shoulders. She relied on only one other person in Cottonwood Bend: her best friend, the reverend Paul Harrington.

Paul Harrington had lived in Cottonwood Bend for two years. From the moment he stepped foot in town he suppressed his human emotions as penance for a past he wanted to forget. As the town’s preacher, he lived a life of service to others, forgoing any desire he might have like the love he felt for Belle. Yet he learned that he couldn’t hide from his past, because on the day of Doc’s funeral, his past rode into town.

Now that Doc was gone, the townsfolk decided to force Paul and Belle to confront their feelings for one another. Since neither Belle nor Paul would admit they were in love with one another, the townsfolk created a committee, The Marriage Committee. Through their scheming, Paul and Belle came face to face with the desires of their hearts and were unable to deny the way they felt about each other. Yet Belle couldn’t let go of the idea that marriage would drag her away from the job that she loved, and Paul couldn’t let go of the past to allow him the treasure of feeling a woman’s love.

Ms. Snodgrass’ novel, THE MARRIAGE COMMITTEE, is a wonderful read. It is fast paced from the starting gate, delightfully written, and exciting. There are twists and turns that keep the reader involved and guessing and the plot is beautifully resolved at the end. I really enjoyed reading THE MARRIAGE COMMITTEE and feel that Ms. Snodgrass is a wonderful storyteller. I would highly recommend this story and am looking forward to reading more by this wonderful writer.

By Maci Walker