Author: Barbara Zerfoss
As Time Unfolds is a Literary Fiction book with a little of everything mixed in. A surprise inheritance leads successful business owner Bethan Miller to uncover her family’s past and try to discover herself in the process. Though conceptually intriguing and has some good moments, the execution of this story missed the mark for me.
Owner of a successful advertising agency, Bethany Miller is living her dream. That is, until she finds out she has inherited an estate from her biological mother. Even though she has never met the woman, news of her death reopens somes old wounds and stirs a curiosity about her family history Bethany has never experienced before. Whether or not she decides to keep the estate, a visit may just help uncover some of the answers she seeks. Still shaken from this new discovery and a haunting trip to a Costa Rican factory, Bethany heads to the small town of Jameson, Virginia to confront the past..and herself.
I love a strong lady boss and had high hopes for Bethany at the beginning of this story. She has an interesting backstory and has fought her way to the top. As the boss of her own advertising agency, she is clearly very busy. However, it is quickly apparent that some of that business is by design in order to avoid facing some of her more personal struggles and insecurities. Unfortunately, the writing lets Bethany down a bit. She comes across as apathetic, naive, and insecure in ways that are sometimes incongruous with her position and actions. A lot of the dialogue is rushed and pretty flat, so we miss out on some additional development that could occur in these moments as well. These issues made it really difficult for me to connect with Bethany and her journey, for better or worse.
The thing that really brought this book down for me was how it handles the topic of child labor and sex trafficking. In both Bethany’s mind and the book as a whole, the issue is a complete afterthought for most of the story. There are occasional reminders about one particular girl’s eyes and general concerns over preserving her friend/client’s reputation and business. However, these only serve to highlight how unimportant the actual human issue at hand is for Bethany. Bethany is very much a woman of privilege and acts that way. She never confronts this privilege and naivety in a way that feels sensitive, transformative, or impactful. I am not a very sensitive person, but I felt uncomfortable in a way that I don’t think was intended. The issue of sex trafficking was already a little at odds with the rest of the story and I think a lot of the issues stem from trying to make it fit in. I appreciate spreading awareness, but we can, and need, to do better.
Rowan Hill 