After the death of her parents, Marleigh Benning, a young woman with a degree in speech pathology, discovers that she was adopted. She decides to search for her birth parents and takes an internship as a home health speech therapist. But, she soon realizes that her job isn’t going to be easy, as she traverses through the backcountry of Tungston, Pennsylvania. As she tries to meet the needs and deal with her quirky unusual patients, she is definitely out of her element in this rural town, being from San Francisco, California, she is miles away from home and in a completely different societal setting. However, she begins to not only fall for the town of Tungston, but also for a hot fireman. She also finds herself and her patients in danger, as she is being stalked by a hardened and vicious escapee that she has unintentionally exposed.
Speaking in Tungs by Karla Jay is an intriguing engaging story that follows the life of one young woman who finds herself in a part of the country that she is totally unfamiliar with. There are dirt roads, peculiar small town stores and residents that are completely different than what she is used to from living in the west. Marleigh is dependable and reliable, intelligent and very likable. She is attracted to the fireman and feeling very passionate. She is out of place but determined to be a part of the community and make her life work in this foreign place she now calls home. This is a hilarious story with emotional moments that will touch every reader’s heart.
Speaking in Tungs is a heartwarming story filled with twists and turns and bold unusual, yet realistic characters. This story has a very different premise with a speech therapist going to live, work and fall in love in a pastoral setting in Pennsylvania. It is a multi-genre piece. It’s a romance, a mystery, a laugh out loud humorous chick lit read and a lightly suspenseful novel. The characters in this fabulous book are quirky, colorful and well developed. They humored me and had me thinking that I would love to know them in person. I found myself being drawn towards them and really caring about them. I love it when a book has me really desiring to know the people and be a part of their lives and live where they live.
Karla Jay has an exciting unique voice and a way with words that draws the reader in from the very first chapter. Even the title of this book gives readers insight into her distinctive creative play on words. She grew up in the area that is the setting of the book and mixes facts with fiction well. Her descriptive writing is filled vivid scenes of the landscapes and woods and had me craving to visit that part of the country and to behold the beauty of the land with its lush green countryside that she often describes in her story.
Speaking in Tungs had me completely hooked from the very beginning to the final last satisfying page. It is one of the best novels that I have read in a long time. This was Karla Jay’s debut novel and she has written more since then. I will definitely be picking up and reading the sequel to this book entitled “Speaking of the Devil.” Chick Lit Café highly recommends Speaking in Tungs to all readers.
