Reviewed by Angela E. Pometto
HERALD Staff Writer
(From the issue of 6/3/04)

MRS. WALKER’S BUBBLE, by Jacqueline M. Culver. iUniverse (2004). 240 pp.

The Walkers are surrounded by mysterious transparent bubbles. No one knows what the bubbles mean or why they surround the members of this family, but everyone in the town of Doddston is sure that it is a curse they want to avoid — everyone except Amy Gaseley.

It is a story about humanity’s love of gossip and judging by looks. The Walkers are good people, but their neighbors are so scared of the bubbles that the family is ostracized. Amy is curious, though. What are the bubbles? Why do they exist? Who are these Walkers who the town fears? Amy uses gardening — even in the cool fall season — to watch and observe the family across the street. Through a journalistic approach, Amy gathers clues and eventually begins to understand the mystery of the bubbles.

The Walkers, she discovers, go to church together every Sunday. Instead of yelling at one another, they treat each other kindly. They are generous with their time and money. With great courage, Amy takes steps to change the minds of her community while she, personally, accepts the Walkers as they are.

"The book shows how gossip is futile," said author Jacqueline Culver from St. Bernadette Parish in Springfield. The second theme is against prejudice, using the bubbles as a universal prejudice as opposed to signaling out one particular group.

Culver has always enjoyed writing. Even as she prepares for dental school in the fall, she hopes to continue writing creatively in the future. "I’ve always been a writer. I don’t have to change my whole life plan," she said. As a dentist, she will interact with people every day, which is where she finds her story ideas.

As a Catholic, she included her faith in the story. Her own morals came from the Catholic Church and were transferred to some of her characters.

"I used religion as a tool and used it sparingly, so I didn’t cut out readers," Culver said. She wanted the book to be enjoyed by people of all faiths.

Culver also thinks of her story as a creative and fun form of a self-help book, a popular genre. Adults who have read the book have told Culver that after reading, they reflect on their own lives. Her writing then becomes an amazing tool to affect people of all ages.

While she enjoys writing, Culver admits that there were difficulties in producing this book. Among them was trying to develop characters who were complex enough to be real.

"People are complicated," Culver said. She spent time observing people and how they reacted in different situations. She exaggerated characteristics so it is not based on one specific person, but on a quality she has seen in others.

Taking advice from an English professor at the University of Virginia, she self-published the book without an agent before sending it to big publishing companies. This summer, she hopes to devote time to contacting agents to start the process.

Big company or not, the book has been selling well locally, as well as in Charlottesville, where Culver attended college.

Culver was invited to St. Ambrose School in Annandale to speak to students about her writing accomplishments. At the talk, she encouraged students to continue writing if they enjoyed it. Like good athletes who practice and train for hours every day, writers need to keep writing.

"Everyone has a story — even the most mundane life can be interesting to write about," Culver told the kids. But it is not easy. She warned them that rejection is part of the territory when trying to get published.

"It is easy to listen to praise and hard to listen to criticism," Culver said. While praises are important to keep self-esteem high, it is also important to take criticism to improve.

In the future, Culver hopes to write a young adult series called "The Melting Pot," stories about a school with people from all different cultures and religions who learn how to interact with each other.

"Northern Virginia is such a mix, I want to foster more understanding," she said, recognizing a need in this area for such lessons.

Culver left the kids with a saying she hoped they would take both literally and figuratively: "God gives you the pencil, you write."

Mrs. Walker’s Bubble may be purchased through the publishers at www.iuniverse.com or at www.amazon.com.