A Human Element by Donna Galanti
In 1979, at the age of nine, Ben Fieldstone leaves the cabin he shares with his parents, upset over a disagreement with them regarding clarinet lessons. While out in the woods smarting over the perceived injustice, Ben witnesses the destruction of not only his parents’ cabin, but all of the surrounding area, by something falling from the sky, plummeting to the earth. This event triggers the unfortunate circumstance for Ben of a string of multiple foster homes over the next eight years, the last of which he manages to escape.
In 1980, a doctor delivers two babies born to a young runaway who dies in the process—one a normal little girl, the other a large, misshapen boy who does not appear completely human. A man from the government waits outside to take the child born to the young woman. The doctor decides to keep the girl baby a secret, while giving the freakish-looking child to the government representative—a task for which he has been well paid. The doctor gives the girl baby to the childless couple who had taken in the pregnant runaway.
As the years pass, Ben enlists in the Navy, feeling no desire to settle down, and finds himself in a life and death situation while on leave in Hawaii. After his timely rescue by a mysterious man, the course of Ben’s life continues to fluctuate between high and low points. Laura, the baby born to the runaway, grows up with loving adoptive parents and experiences some odd abilities: telekinesis, healing, and the reading of emotions and sometimes thoughts. The day Laura prepares to leave for college, her parents burn to death in their house while she is walking by the lake. This event provides the impetus for Laura to learn more about her past and her connection to a sadistic killer. When Ben’s and Laura’s paths cross, they discover what really happened that long-ago night in the woods when destruction fell from the sky.
Despite the circumstances of his childhood, the reader may have difficulty warming up to Ben for the first half of the book, as the sections told from his point of view are difficult to read, both in content and style. The Laura sections, however, flow more smoothly, portraying a special, likeable young woman attempting to come to terms with her abilities and the misfortunes that happen to people she cares about. The creepy, vicious villain adds to the suspense of the tale. The author’s interesting concept gets explored thoroughly, though the narrative could have benefited from a slightly shorter length and some stylistic tightening.
Book Stats:
- Paperback: 310 pages
- Publisher: Echelon Press Publishing (March 10, 2012)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1590808762
- ISBN-13: 978-1590808764
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