The characters in Lisa Tucker’s Once Upon a Day immediately sucked me into their world. This story is told through the point of views of many interesting characters. Stephen was a doctor, and quite happy in his life until his lost his wife and daughter in a car accident. Because he couldn’t save them, he gave up medicine and began driving a cab. Dorothea is a twenty-three year old woman who has never before left home, gone to school, or had a friend. She’s been raised with her brother in The Sanctuary, by her father and grandmother. While she’s had books, encyclopedias, and record albums, she’s never seen television, or heard a radio, or touched a computer. Her father wanted to keep the children safe, so they weren’t allowed in the sun, they weren’t allowed to handle knives, or cook, or climb trees.
Dorothea’s brother Jimmy is a talented artist, but he wasn’t allowed oil paints because his father thought them dangerous. Because Jimmy is older, he remembers more of their early childhood in California. He remembers beaches, and watching TV, and their mother. Jimmy rebels and leaves The Sanctuary. After months go by, Dorothea believes that Jimmy’s absence is making their father sick. She leaves to find Jimmy. The first person she runs into is Stephen. He helps her find Jimmy, and helps her find her way in the confusing and busy modern world.
The story is also told from the point of view of the children’s mother, Lucy, when she was a young woman. She grew up poor, and faced many challenges before she found herself in Hollywood. There she is flattered by the attention of an older director, famous for his moral movies, Charles. Their romance holds a few warnings, but it’s easy to ignore them.
Dorothea uncovers many mysteries and surprises about her father and mother as she hopes to find ways to help Jimmy and heal his relationship with his father. Tucker writes beautifully, and this story unfolds from so many angles. The relationships between the characters are quite complex. Once Upon a Day is an amazing read. Days later, the characters are still lingering in my mind.
Content warning: language, some sex, one graphic burglary scene.
Also See:
Lady Luck’s Map of Vegas – Barbara Samuel
Water for Elephants – Sara Gruen
The Poisonwood Bible – Barbara Kingsolver