BEAUTY

BEAUTY is a well-written, often delightful tale of Carol McLean, who rescues a small fish processing plant in the face of environmentalism, government intrusion and corporate shenanigans.

Although Carol grew up in a working class family, she herself has worked herself into a job where she buries companies so they can be flipped and exploited by the Baxter Bloom Company. As she’s about to bury a fish processing plant on the coast of Massachusetts, she gets the word that she will be fired next, despite the fact Baxter promised her he would giver her a company to run.

Tall, thin and professional, Carol collapses at having the rug pulled out from under her. She quickly recovers, thanks to a couple of the employees and Ezekiel, a local fisherman. She sees the potential for the fishing industry and the plant. She sees the investment of generations of residents in the fishing industry. She asks them to put together their kitchen funds to buy the company.

Environmentalists claim all the fish have been killed off, but Ezekiel and the good fishermen tell her the fish are back. The corporations want to turn the wharf and the town into a local tourist trap. What’s worse, the local judge running for governor issues an injunction to shut down the fishing industry.

Will the wives and the fishermen be able to stand against the government and corporate environmentalists and their power grab?

BEAUTY not only is absorbing, memorable and heartfelt. It also tells a story of individual courage, freedom and free enterprise that’s rare to find in contemporary novels these days. The character sketches are terrific. This could make a great movie if Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn were still alive. As it is, it’s a compelling read, and the author is commended.