WATERS OF MARAH BY SYLVIA BAMBOLA

WATERS OF MARAH by SYLVIA BAMBOLA is the story of Gloria Bickford.  We see her search for love and her secret adoration for her best friend Tracy's brother, Tucker, who she feels is far beyond the reach of someone as plain and ordinary as she is.  On the other hand we see how she falls in love with "her beautiful Jesus", and each chapter is headed with a verse from the Song of Solomon.  In her search for a more exciting life, when she finally manages to cut the apron strings and leave Appleton and her domineering mother, she struggles to please the Lord and not get drawn away into temptation.  It is beautifully and sensitively written, and as we read the thoughts of this young woman and see her actions as she tries to give glory to Jesus in all she does, we see the beauty of her character.

Gloria's mother was a beauty queen and names Gloria after Gloria Swanson, hoping her daughter will also be a beauty. Gloria knows her mother is disappointed in her looks.  This makes her timid and easily manipulated by both her mother and her best friend Tracy, who is striking looking and very outgoing.  Gloria works for Cutter Press, who she dislikes intensely as he teased her unmercifully when they were at school.  Gloria's mother and Cutter's equally overbearing mother, Virginia Press, try to arrange a marriage between their son and daughter.  Gloria is horrified and manages to tell Cutter that she won't marry him because she doesn't love him.  This is quite an achievement as she is not very brave!

She escapes to Eckerd City with Tracy's help and feels her dreams are about to come true as she will be working for Tucker. The Lord has given her a promise to give her the desires of her heart, and she feels that this may be the fulfillment of His promise.  Her eyes are opened living in the big city and working in a big office.  She is taken to buy more suitable clothes for her job in Tucker's office and is told to sort out her hair.  She does all this and loves the effect.  She realizes that she may have done nothing with her hair and makeup in order to spite her mother.  She really looks good afterwards, although the whole situation is quite humiliating.

She makes some very special friends when she is obedient to the Lord.  She goes the second mile for Perth, and finds such satisfaction in having a "little sister", even though she was full of misgivings at the beginning. It is hard to get rid of a lifetime of fear and a feeling of unworthiness, but she does this with her precious Jesus at her side.  She finds He is all she needs and that she need never be lonely again.  She finds work that she loves and that she is good at.  Her friend Tracy has always said she has no backbone, and is surprised when Gloria stands up for herself and for what she believes is right.  She learns to stand up to her mother and Tucker as well.  Her relationship with her mother improves when she is firm with her, but  she always tells her mother that she loves her.  She does her best to mend fences with Tracy, whilst still standing her ground.  She also gets involved in a lot of intrigue and is determined to do what she can to uncover the evil she hears about.  The plot is exciting,  the characters are very real and there is a lovely message of overcoming one's fears and inadequacies when one follows closely after the Lord.