House of Gentle Men By Kathy Hempinstill
	I don’t believe any of us were surprised to learn that several people were waiting at the information desk of Borders inquiring about the book, The House of Gentle Men.  Even when we tried to keep our dignity and voices in tact, Someone would say something and then, like sharks going after a piece of chum, we would dive in all a once, trying to get our piece of the conversation.                Kathy’s characters, Charlotte, Louise, Milo, Benjamin, Mr. Olen, Justin, the Sheriff, Belinda and Daniel will be with us for a while.  Charlotte took the prize for being the most liked character.  It was the 1940’s and most of us could sympathize with her plight, even her attempted abortion and subsequent abandonment of her own child were viewed by some in the context of the times.  The least liked,  do I have to tell anyone,  the Sheriff, although he was neck in neck with his wife for a while there.  Belinda redeemed herself in the arms of Benjamin, whom we had a hard time accepting as only 16.  But Richard Stanley remained unredeemed and some of us would have ended this story with him dying in the fire. Belinda was probably the character who demonstrated the most growth in personality.               Now Louise grew.  But did she grow forward or backward?  And why wasn’t Daniel enough to satisfy her obsession.  Why did it take sex with Justin, to still her compulsion to clean tree stumps and everything else in sight?  There had to be more to it then just the fact that her mother left her?  We liked Louise well enough, but there was some evil in her.               LOUISE’S CLEANING MOVED THE STORY - FROM THE BEGINNING, THROUGH THE CLIMAX, TO THE END.   Smell the ammonia, smell the musk, smell the bodies.                Milo was slow, but loved his sister.               Mr. Olen – weak.  Some thing about being named Leon Olen, What is that called again?  Seriously, wouldn’t you have left this man.                I wish I had room and time to write all of the passages that were read, but I don’t.  Do we agree that the best was found in the conversation with Justin and Charlotte, when he says in my attempt to undo you, I became undone.  I still love those words, seeped in salt and vinegar.                The plot of lonely women, seeking caressing men, neglected to address the moral issue of infidelity.   How far do you go before you are unfaithful.  Good Question!  I am not sure WHY Kathy did not address this issue, but I believe her women, the ones going to the House, were perceived victims of male neglect.  So, if the women were unfaithful, it was their husband’s faults.                Of course, Kathy tricked us into thinking Milo started the fire.  Instead her rescued his sister’s new family.  Now the question is, Will they live happily ever after?  Of course not, that is unless Daniel really is magical, from heaven.  Charlotte and Justin have too much baggage.  And what will happen to Daniel if you get pregnant…and if Milo moves in…if Louise is not satisfied…if the sheriff really goes off and doesn’t plan…if forgive me, that the sequel isn’t it.                 The most surprising part was that this was Kathy’s first novel.   There was an amazing sense of detail and description. We could smell the ammonia, feel the kisses, laugh at the men’s attempt to gentle Ben.  Like most novels, some of us had to read through the first hundred pages before the story took off for us, but once it got going, we were onboard.
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