Title: The Actor and the Housewife
Author: Shannon Hale
Genre: LDS Fiction, Contemporary, Romance
Spice: 0.5 / 5
Format: Hard Cover
Pages: 339
Reason Read: Book Club
Rating:

My Thoughts

I normally don’t like LDS fiction. In fact, I hate it. It’s so unrealistic because it doesn’t usually show any part of the real world and what it’s actually like to live in this life. I was very hesitant to read this book, especially when I found out the main character was Mormon. However, having said all of that, I was pleasantly surprised by this book.

I loved that some of the characters swore. I especially loved that Felix Callahan, a non-Mormon actor, swore. (Swearing is usually a no-no in LDS fiction whether the character is Mormon or not.) It made the story much more believable. I’m also glad Hale didn’t go overboard with the swearing and used swear words in all the right places to be poignant.

I loved the discussion between Becky and Felix about God. Although I personally never say “god” in a non-religious, non-respectful way, I understand that others do. I understand that it’s just a word to a lot of people. And, I loved that when Felix said it as just a word, it was uncapitalized and created some great discussion. Plus, at the end when you could see Felix possibly changing his mind about God, he told Becky, “I thank God for you,” capitalized, which said a lot.

I was expecting a very light and fluffy book. I was expecting lots of humor. I was expecting swoon-worthy moments. I did get all that, but I also got a great depth of emotion. I haven’t cried so hard while reading a book since 2007 when I first read HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS. At first, I hated that aspect of the story. It made me smad and it made me miss my mom. Now that I’ve been able to think about my emotions and deal with them, I’ve realized that I’m glad Hale did what she did. I’m glad she let the story take her where it did. It made it so much more deep and meaningful. And, it endeared me to the characters even more than I already was.

One of the things I enjoyed most about this book is the exploration of all the different types of love–lust, friendship, infatuation, and deep, meaningful true love (and the fact that that kind of love takes work). There was a small part of me that wanted Becky to be with Felix, but I loved the story more because Becky stayed true to her husband and faith. I also loved the lack of a Hollywood ending because even though the story is already unrealistic, it was still believable in the book world. However, if it had had a Hollywood ending, then it wouldn’t have been believable in the least bit and I would’ve hated it.