A Picture-Perfect Family Masks a Dark Secret in Nora Roberts’ Gripping Under Currents
Family and community and the bonds an individual forms with each of them are themes that run deeply throughout Nora Roberts’ work, and the author takes this to a whole new level in her latest book, Under Currents. There is romance aplenty in this tome, not to mention suspense, but equally thrilling are the relationships the two main characters form with their community—and the love and support they get in return.
Under Currents follows its protagonist, Zane Bigelow, from his teenage years through adulthood. When we first meet Zane, he is 14 years old and dreams of becoming a professional baseball player. He lives with his father, a successful surgeon who is considered a pillar of the local community, his mother, a stay-at-home wife who basks in her family’s money and high standing, and his younger sister, who, like Zane, knows better than to be impressed by any of this.
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The dark secret Zane’s picture-perfect family holds is that his father is physically, verbally, and emotionally abusive to everyone in the household—and that his mother tolerates and even enables her husband’s horrible behavior. All of this results in a painful childhood for both of their children.
Zane, however, has it much harder than his sister, and Roberts does a fantastic job of establishing Zane’s background in the first part of the book. His day-to-day life, while it doesn’t lack its joys, is still a struggle. His goal is to simply survive living in his house until he can obtain a college baseball scholarship. In the meantime, he does what he can to survive and also gives his sister advice on how to cope until she is old enough to make her own escape.
Everything changes after a particularly violent episode at home one night, one that results in Zane being sent to a juvenile detention facility. Eventually, Zane and his sister are taken in by their mother’s sister, Emily, who was always suspicious of her sister’s picture-perfect life and proceeds to raise her niece and nephew with the love and support they have lacked.
Fast forward many years, and Zane is a successful lawyer. He decides to return to his hometown and put down roots, and he does this just as newcomer Darby McCray, a professional landscaper, is getting settled in. She has decided to settle in Zane’s hometown in part due to the business opportunities there, and she starts off doing work for his aunt. Darby’s extraordinary talent quickly escalates the local demand for her services.
Zane is instantly intrigued by Darby when he first meets her. Like Zane, Darby has also experienced abuse, but unlike Zane, she grew up with a loving mother. She is more open and matter-of-fact about her background, whereas Zane has a history of being more reserved. Considering his past, this is absolutely understandable, but he feels differently around Darby and he is more open with her than he has been with any other woman. Their attraction is a very natural one, and it’s truly fun to see their bond strengthen.
There are several other plot points in play as Zane and Darby’s relationship progresses. Zane becomes reintegrated into his community and opens up a law practice. The current whereabouts of Zane’s parents are brought up more than once. The town also faces a mysterious string of crimes, including vandalism. Love may be in the air for both Zane and Darby, but their journey to peace and tranquility is far from over.
The important thing is that they are not alone. They have each other, for one, and the support of a community that cares about them both. It’s clear that one of the main reasons Zane hasn’t morphed into a bitter adult is because of love. He’s always had the love of his aunt, his sister, and the father of a close friend who became a sort of surrogate father to him, to name a few. (Indeed, one would argue that Zane’s Aunt Emily is the real hero in Under Currents. One of the best moments in the story is when she tells off a local police officer, one she’s known since grade school, and threatens to complain about him to his mother.) Those bonds are strengthened when Zane comes home, and his life is highlighted by Darby’s presence and her own love of her new community and her successful integration into it.
Indeed, this strong sense of community is why Roberts’ romances work so well. Romances and romantic themes will weave in and out throughout the plot of a Roberts book, and the possibility of finding true love will provide plenty of motivation for the author’s heroes and heroines. That being said, these heroes and heroines are also rewarded with a deeper sense of community and family and belonging by the end of the story. This is often a crucial part of their journey and story arc, and it brings them just as much joy as finding a romantic partner. Indeed, the romance flourishes because of it, and this is certainly the case in Under Currents. Zane and Darby’s romance itself is certainly satisfying, but having a strong support network of family and friends to cheer them on is its own reward.
Under Currents is on B&N bookshelves now.
The dark secret Zane’s picture-perfect family holds is that his father is physically, verbally, and emotionally abusive to everyone in the household—and that his mother tolerates and even enables her husband’s horrible behavior. All of this results in a painful childhood for both of their children.
Zane, however, has it much harder than his sister, and Roberts does a fantastic job of establishing Zane’s background in the first part of the book. His day-to-day life, while it doesn’t lack its joys, is still a struggle. His goal is to simply survive living in his house until he can obtain a college baseball scholarship. In the meantime, he does what he can to survive and also gives his sister advice on how to cope until she is old enough to make her own escape.
Everything changes after a particularly violent episode at home one night, one that results in Zane being sent to a juvenile detention facility. Eventually, Zane and his sister are taken in by their mother’s sister, Emily, who was always suspicious of her sister’s picture-perfect life and proceeds to raise her niece and nephew with the love and support they have lacked.
Fast forward many years, and Zane is a successful lawyer. He decides to return to his hometown and put down roots, and he does this just as newcomer Darby McCray, a professional landscaper, is getting settled in. She has decided to settle in Zane’s hometown in part due to the business opportunities there, and she starts off doing work for his aunt. Darby’s extraordinary talent quickly escalates the local demand for her services.
Zane is instantly intrigued by Darby when he first meets her. Like Zane, Darby has also experienced abuse, but unlike Zane, she grew up with a loving mother. She is more open and matter-of-fact about her background, whereas Zane has a history of being more reserved. Considering his past, this is absolutely understandable, but he feels differently around Darby and he is more open with her than he has been with any other woman. Their attraction is a very natural one, and it’s truly fun to see their bond strengthen.
There are several other plot points in play as Zane and Darby’s relationship progresses. Zane becomes reintegrated into his community and opens up a law practice. The current whereabouts of Zane’s parents are brought up more than once. The town also faces a mysterious string of crimes, including vandalism. Love may be in the air for both Zane and Darby, but their journey to peace and tranquility is far from over.
The important thing is that they are not alone. They have each other, for one, and the support of a community that cares about them both. It’s clear that one of the main reasons Zane hasn’t morphed into a bitter adult is because of love. He’s always had the love of his aunt, his sister, and the father of a close friend who became a sort of surrogate father to him, to name a few. (Indeed, one would argue that Zane’s Aunt Emily is the real hero in Under Currents. One of the best moments in the story is when she tells off a local police officer, one she’s known since grade school, and threatens to complain about him to his mother.) Those bonds are strengthened when Zane comes home, and his life is highlighted by Darby’s presence and her own love of her new community and her successful integration into it.
Indeed, this strong sense of community is why Roberts’ romances work so well. Romances and romantic themes will weave in and out throughout the plot of a Roberts book, and the possibility of finding true love will provide plenty of motivation for the author’s heroes and heroines. That being said, these heroes and heroines are also rewarded with a deeper sense of community and family and belonging by the end of the story. This is often a crucial part of their journey and story arc, and it brings them just as much joy as finding a romantic partner. Indeed, the romance flourishes because of it, and this is certainly the case in Under Currents. Zane and Darby’s romance itself is certainly satisfying, but having a strong support network of family and friends to cheer them on is its own reward.
Under Currents is on B&N bookshelves now.