Up at the College

Yvonne Fountain Copeland, the heroine of Bowen’s lamentable faithy novel, finds strength in the Lord when her husband leaves her. Back in hometown Durham, N.C., she lands a teaching job and meets Curtis Parker, who is everything she could want in a man—except he isn’t saved. Curtis has his own problems, many of which are linked to his job as a college basketball coach, but with Yvonne by his side, they learn nothing’s insurmountable if they have Jesus on their side. Unfortunately, the intense faith theme overwhelms every other aspect of the narrative. The characters are poorly drawn, their troubles lack urgency, and there’s never a doubt about how things will turn out. (Apr.)