‘Heavenly Days’ hard to grasp

All Things Literary

Amidst the all-too-common chaos and frustration of the real world, it’s nice to be reminded sometimes that our fate doesn’t always necessarily rest in our own hands. Reading James Wilcox’s "Heavenly Days" gave me that gentle reminder that, for all the things in life we don’t understand, there comes a point where we have to stop trying to rationalize and for once just have faith.

Louise Jones is a middle-aged woman living in fictional Tula Springs, Louisiana, where she finds herself working as a receptionist at WaistWatch, a Christian fundamentalist health center, where every day clients are "gifted with a rise in self-esteem." Louise, who is completely overqualified for the job with a Ph.D. in music theory, struggles to accept the mediocrity of her day-to-day activities and tries to combat her boredom by coming to the aid of those around her whom she sees as in need of spiritual guidance.

Among those residents of Tula Springs that she tries to help include Alpha, her seemingly perfectionist housekeeper, Alpha’s mother, a somewhat delusional yet utterly refined older woman, Maigrite, Louise’s friend and coworker who suffers from perpetual coldness and an inferiority complex, and her husband Don, an unemployed computer programmer residing in his dead parents’ house.

Yet through all of Louise’s well-intended meddling, her actions seem to create more confusion than calm in the lives of those around her. Wallowing in frustration and unable to understand why God is seemingly letting her down, Louise finally realizes she can only control so much when a longtime friend reminds her of one simple idea — God isn’t man, and his ways can’t be judged, or understood for that matter, by those here on Earth.

This book isn’t about religious faith. You have to look beyond that initial impression that the writing seems to suggest. This book is about having a stronger belief in something. Believing in something — anything — will help you realize that no matter what curves life throws at you, it is and will always be a beautiful thing. Embracing the eccentricities and misfortunes that we all undoubtedly come across is a part of what makes us complete.

However, I don’t think everyone will appreciate this book. As Wilcox says himself in the book, "Cultural illiteracy is so rampant nowadays that it’s becoming a chore for a … person to converse at all." No one exhibits this better than Wilcox himself — his depiction of such a wide array of oddball characters makes it difficult sometimes to follow his thought pattern, or more importantly, understand his meaning.

Not only that, the plot hardly progresses forward. I found the comedy of errors that Louise encounters somewhat endearing, but I’m sure many people would be bored by the stagnant nature that characterizes the book.

Yet, I would still tell people to read "Heavenly Days," if for no other reason than this book was welcome relief from my own personal issues and a nice reminder of the importance of having faith beyond the realm of your world.