Troubled Waters

Troubled Waters by Dean Hughes Hearts of the Children Vol. 2

Troubled Waters picks up right where book 1 left off. Gene is still on his mission in West Germany. Hans is stuck in East Germany and going to church, hoping to be allowed into university. Kathy is just starting Smith college in the east. Diane is starting at the Y and sending her boyfriend Ken off on his mission.

Gene finds out that there is more to a mission than climbing the ladder when he is not made the AP. He finally starts doing the Lord's work instead of vying for leadership positions. After serving his two and a half years he returns to the states at Christmas. He lives in his parents home as they are living in Virginia and his father is in Congress. Gene returns to his studies at the U. He works for his uncle Wally selling cars. This is where he meets Emily. We eventually find out that Emily knew him from an opposing high school and scoped him out. They fall in love and Gene frets about marrying her or taking some time to cool off. The Vietnam war is raging and even though things don't look good Gene still wants to serve America if he is called up. He doesn't want to leave Emily to go to war and die. Finally he realizes that they can be sealed forever if they are to marry and he decides to tentatively propose marriage........which Emily accepts.

Hans goes to a youth conference where he and his crush Greta almost drown. He is convinced that Greta is the girl for him and that they will someday end up together even though he is younger that she. As Hans is accepted to University and moves away from home, he finds out that Greta is engaged to another man. He is seriously depressed. Hans also still has the Stasi on his case because he decided to help a friend escape from West Germany. Hans saw his friend murdered by police but escaped. Even though he wasn't fleeing the country himself, the government is sure that he aided the escape and they are slowly building a case against him. Hans visits Greta to make one last attempt at what he thinks is the love of his life, only to find that she will never feel the same about him. Upon his return to University he is picked up by the Stasi and put in prison. He is sentenced to three years. He will probably now never have a professional job (an engineer) with the government. Life will be even harder.

Kathy heads out east to Smith college. She meets her roommate.......whom she feel they have nothing in common with each other. She joins an SDS (Students for a Democratic Society) group and devotes most of her time to rallies instead of studying. She and LaRue, her aunt don't see eye to eye anymore about politics and the church. Kathy pulls back from her religion feeling like she has nothing in common with the other members. When she is home she fights with her family because they are so uniformed about real life. Martin Luther King Junior is murdered. Kathy begins to see that blacks are no longer wanting to change things peacefully. The radicals begin preaching violence. Kathy walks away from a flag burning. She joins a hippie movement in San Fransisco but his mauled by a free love, nasty hippie and returns to Salt Lake City. The country is in turmoil over Vietnam.

Diane semi promises to wait for Ken, or at least not to get married until she graduates from college. Then she is practically stalked by the smooth talking Greg. He paints a nice picture of their life together.........he will be beyond successful and give her the kind of life she dreams of. Nice home, kids, great clothes and the right kind of people to associate with. Diane lamely tries to hold out for Ken. Her roommates even try to stage an intervention because they don't like some things about Greg. Finally it is time for Greg to graduate and go away to grad school. He proposes marriage in a Greg sort of way and Diane can't help but fall for it. She agrees to marry him and follow him to grad school.

Gene seems more mature in this book, hence much more likable. He loses some of his politician slickness. He evolves into a character that I finally care about. The budding romance helps.

Hans has grown spiritually but his life seems destined for bleakness.

Kathy is almost more than I can handle in this book. I know that she is evolving like a real person so I try to understand. But I did not like Kathy in this book. She is ANGRY and she knows more than anyone else. She's hard to swallow. She does stick by her beliefs though, despite not feeling part of her religious community.

Diane just continues being pretty and dressing cute. I can see her heading for trouble. She doesn't take college very seriously unless it has to do with socializing. Greg gives her the old ' I prayed and God revealed to me you should be my wife!' and she totally is suckered in. He's an icky guy. I don't foresee a happy marriage.

Rating 4.25

Rating G