Leave Her to Heaven is a difficult book to categorize. It is mostly from the male character's point of view. Richard Harland is a bachelor taking a train out west. He runs into Ellen, who at first seems a relatively innocent, minor character. However, in short time, Ellen is shown to be a great manipulator, an extremely jealous, possessive woman who plots and schemes to get whatever she wants. In this case, what she wants is Richard.

Usually the book would be all about how Ellen twists and turns to get her hands on him, and how either he manages to escape from her or how together they realize they are great together and end up happy. However, this book - written in the early 1940s - will have none of that. Instead, the author allows Ellen to grab Richard pretty much immediately, and whisk him away into her self-centered world. Harland, a patient, drifting sort, does not really protest much. He allows her to control and order his life.

It's hard to review this book fully without giving away any of the spoilers. Ellen's behavior is just so outrageous that you are never quite sure what she is going to do next. Harland is very caring about his younger brother who cannot walk properly. Ellen is, of course, jealous. Is she going to be able to keep up her veneer of caring? Will she crack? How about Ellen's sweet younger (adopted) sister who is as patient and gentle as Harlan. Will she ever escape from the world she's in? Or is this book all about how nice people are doomed and how grabby people get the biggest piece of pie?

I initially picked up this book because I was reading the diary of my great-grandmother, and back in 1945 she mentioned having read this book. Those days were long before the wild twisted-relationship books of the 70s and 80s, but this book is certainly not staid and boring. You might think that this book would seem dated and "old". Really, though, many of the places they go are rustic and remote - and probably are just the way now as they were then. The descriptions of locations are lush and vivid. With a few minor changes - like telegrams turning into cell phones - the story could take place today.

Still, I found it not fun to read about such a nasty, self-centered person as a main character. I kept wanting something to happen to her to shake her out of her way of life. I understand that stories should be about all types of characters of all flavors, but if I'm going to spend a few hours immersing myself in a fictional world, I don't want it to be one of despair, cruel behavior and downtrodden people. There is enough of that in the real world, and if I'm going to put myself through that, I'd rather read of real situations and get some sense of how I might help improve things.

Book Reviews of Tennessee WWII

Ora Warren Diary Index
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