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Book Review: Fee Simple Conditional

Rating:

☆☆☆☆☆ 5/5

Title: Fee Simple Conditional

Author: H.C. Helfand

Publication Date: September 30, 2020

Genre: Legal Thrillers; Contemporary Women’s Fiction

Cover:

The cover of Fee Simple Conditional is inviting with its rolling hills, green grass, and blue sky. The phrase “the sky is the limit” immediately came to mind when I first saw the book, and that thought ended up being quite relevant to the story.

Premise

Abigail Fischer is a young woman from humble and tragic beginnings searching for her place in this world and something to call her own. While intelligent and highly capable, she often doubts her abilities, especially when her life crumbles around her time and time again. But one day, everything changes as she uncovers a secret hidden in a copy of a stolen legal document. Her search for the legal heir to a piece of land takes her on a life-changing journey.

Why I chose this book:

Author H.C. Helfand requested this review. After reading her summary, I was intrigued. My father was a land developer, and I understand this love of the land mindset and the bittersweet feeling of wanting to preserve it in its most natural state but also wanting to develop it into something beautiful to be enjoyed.

First Impression:

H.C. Helfand has a precise and meticulous writing style in which each word feels weighed and intentional. She provides all the necessary information that the reader needs but does not go into excessive detail, and this lends a solidness to the story. The writing style is what one might expect from a lawyer…thoughtful and deliberate.

What I loved:

Upon first glance, Abby’s story seems simple and straightforward enough. However, there are subtle themes that run deep throughout the book, which made me fall in love with the story. The first is this idea of transforming and reinventing oneself. Multiple characters are presented with opportunities that allow them to either stay the course or completely transform their lives. For example, Jack Warfield chooses to cling to the way things have always been, and the reader witnesses the stagnation associated with this mindset. In contrast, characters like David decide to embrace change, and readers are shown a life full of potential that blossoms and grows before their very eyes.

The second theme is related to fulfilling one’s purpose in life and whether that is enough to make a difference. Helfand’s characters contemplate questions like: Do I matter in this world? Do my actions matter? Is what I do significant enough to be felt by those around me? Abby struggles with these thoughts as she wrestles with her work as a title abstractor. By the end of the book, the reader realizes that even the smallest of actions can have a ripple effect that impacts the lives of many in a profound way. This is a concept near and dear to my heart and one that drives many of my decisions and actions.

Additional Thoughts:

While Helfand provides excellent narration and insight into Abby’s thoughts, there were times that I craved more dialogue between the characters. Without giving any details away, I would have liked to have seen more dialogue between Abby and Ted at pivotal points in their relationship. To be clear, the dialogue that is present is believable and supports the interaction between characters, but I think additional dialogue would have brought more depth to relationships.

Quotable Quotes:

• I was entering a world where the dead did not remain buried and gone, a place where needs and desires could still speak from the grave. It was where land reigned eternal, bearing the remains of its fleeting inhabitants, who made their mark, indelible, and then moved on. (Page 20) *This was the quote that hooked me into the story!*
• The sanctity of this place, so wide and full, so potentially green and ripe. So primed with life, yet so pristine and spare, it drove me to think of the poetry of land. (Page 108)
• It was the land, the foundation of all we did. It was the permanence, the grandeur, the enduring nature of land. (Page 109)
• If everything seemed surreal, what was real? (Page 140)
• The germinated seed of our relationship quickly sprouted tiny leaves. The ultimate configuration remained unknown but held promise. (Page 214)
• But, in this place, I know love and security, even in an insecure world, and see that, despite life’s inevitable changes, some things are simply unconditional. (Page 219)

Who might enjoy this book:

Fee Simple Conditional is ideal for readers who enjoy a fast-paced, easy-to-read story with deep meaning and insight.

Overall Impression:

Five Stars. Fee Simple Conditional is a touching story with complex themes and life lessons. Helfand’s characters are realistic and well developed, and she shows readers that not all battles are fought and won with weapons. In many cases, good conquers evil through simple and courageous acts performed each day by the “average” person. Helfand has earned her place as a thoughtful and talented indie author, and I eagerly await her future work.

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