Elizabeth and Tori are young Christian wives and mothers in small town Kansas, who meet each other and fall in love during the late eighties. The pair battles fierce opposition, and even violence, from their families, friends, church, and the courts as they defy the law and flee to Colorado.
This earnest, well-intentioned narrative of their fight to remain together and obtain custody of Elizabeth’s children is a compelling story, but undermined by inadequate punctuation, a confusing chronology, and descriptions of characters as either ‘perfect’ or ‘evil’. The author’s imprecise use of language further contributes to the distractions.
In addition, spiritual/moral inconsistencies are vexing. (For example, Tori lies to her homophobic parents for years, telling them she has a boyfriend who is a member of the mob and is, therefore, absent from view. While Elizabeth is shocked and offended when others lie, she feels the lies she and Tori tell are necessary in order to stay together and gain custody of Elizabeth’s chilldren.) Furthermore, such unlikely machinations as the appearance of typewritten messages from God go unexplained and unexamined.
Scattered here and there, however, are moments of clarity and meaningful reflection e.g.: “She was afraid the love she felt for Tori was not from God, but Satan coming in and confusing her. She was losing confidence in her ability to know the difference between right and wrong.” The author also succeeds solidly in presenting an all-forgiving, all-loving God who brings justice to every situation, and the tried and tested conviction that genuine faith remains strong even when prayers are not answered as hoped for.
Sadly, however, I Want to Know My Future is more of a hurried recitation of unfortunate events than a reflective look back on a sad and troubling period in these likable women’s lives.
Also available as an ebook.
