Friendship gone to life, death extremes
Plot of two women who had grown up together takes twist
Sunday, July 11, 2004
By DARLENE JOLLY
For The Huntsville Times

What is too much to ask of a best friend? And how much strife can a true friendship endure?

Jean Reynolds Page's "A Blessed Event" tries to answer these and many other important questions about relationships.

In a gripping, page-turning tale, Page writes of boundaries crossed, trust broken and how the bonds between mother, daughter, lover and friend can be tested.

Darla Stevens grew up in a small Texas town and her best friend, Joanne Timbro, lived in a house behind her. They became like twins, knowing each other's thoughts and becoming very protective of each other.
Darla lived in what people called a perfect family, with parents she adored. Joanne's home seemed more like a war zone, with her mother and father as combatants.

Of the two girls, Joanne was the wild child; she often talked Darla into situations she normally would have avoided.

As they grew older, they became even greater friends; there wasn't anything they wouldn't do for each other.

Darla married the love of her life, and Joanne watched as Darla struggled to have a child. When Darla discovered that she might be barren, Joanne does what she thinks a true friend should do and offers to have a child for her.

Then tragedy strikes as Joanne decides to drive her car through Darla's bedroom.

Joanne's life is in peril; she and her unborn child are kept alive by machines. Darla, finding herself a victim of betrayal, tries to find out why Joanne did what she did.

In her quest, Darla discovers maybe she didn't know Joanne that well after all - and maybe she doesn't know herself that well either. As she begins to learn the truth, she's faced with a challenge that will make her stronger or destroy her.