Book Review: Destiny Delayed

Title: Destiny Delayed

Author: Teresa E. Nelson

Quote: "Donald Swenquist didn't want to be a peace officer when he was a child."

Of all the books people have published on Kindle when they must have meant to revise the manuscript again, this is the most obvious I've seen so far. Donald is a child of the Depression with plenty to be depressed about. His father is an alcoholic; his mother may be that, or may also be a schizophrenic, or maybe both. Early in life he's sent to stay with another couple in the country. Local police come out to talk to the new boys (Donald has younger brothers) about stolen bicycles, and Donald convinces them that another boy is stealing bicycles, then catches the other boy and proves his charges. Knowing that he'll need a good job when he grows up, Donald's foster father encourages him to do errands and odd jobs for the police. It goes well; he helps rescue a straying child, and they send him to "police school." Donald has a girlfriend from high school who goes away to nursing school and becomes involved in crime, in a very innocent and pitiful sort of way, but that problem seems to be resolved...when Donald's mother comes looking for him.

So, is Donald adult enough to be kind to his mother while continuing to work for an organization she hates, or child enough to be sucked back into her dysfunctional life? We are not told. The e-book ends with the mother being glad she's found him. Is his "destiny" to be the nice middle-class life he's looking forward to as a "peace officer," or misery in the slums with his parents? We are not told.

This is not a book. It's part of a book manuscript. It should not have been published and should now be withdrawn from publication, finished, and published when it becomes a real, printable book.

It should be worth reading, when it's done. Nelson writes simply but clearly, and handles the specifically Christian scenes well.