Fame–a Review by Patsy Ledbetter
Fame by Karen Kingsbury and published by Tyndale House Publishers (Reprint edition, 2011) is full of suspense and romance. It also gives those seeking fame a realistic picture of some of the pitfalls. It takes place in Bloomington, Indiana and Los Angeles, California.
One of the main characters, Dayne Matthews was adopted as a baby by missionary parents who spent most of their lives in Indonesia. Dayne spent most of his time in a boarding school in that country.
When he was eighteen, both of his parents were killed in a small plane crash. He was left devastated and feeling like God had abandoned him. At that time, he began to discover theater, taking classes and finding community in the theater world.
Now 35, he’s one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. About a year before, he became interested in finding his birth parents and hired a private detective. The man found his birth mother, Elizabeth, who was dying of cancer. Her dying wish was that she find the firstborn son her parents made her give up for adoption many years ago. Although Elizabeth Baxter later married Dayne’s father John, they were young at the time and not allowed to keep the baby. Both are very strong Christians and John is a doctor.
Dayne’s search leads him to the hospital where his mother is. He is able to spend one hour with her. She shares her love and her heart with him and is so thrilled to meet him, knowing he is a famous actor, yet also knowing that she has loved him and prayed for him every day of his life. She speaks to him about the God who can perform miracles in his life. After Dayne leaves her side, the rest of her family, consisting of her husband, five children, their spouses and grandchildren, go to her room to spend her final moments with her.
Dayne is thinking about all of this and is still in his car when the family comes into the parking lot to leave. He is just about to introduce himself to them, and then remembers how the paparazzi have caused him so much trouble. He doesn’t want to introduce this negative aspect of his fame into their lives, so he lets them walk away and out of his life. It is a very sad moment since he has no family left, yet he feels if he really loves them, he won’t risk their privacy.
That night, Dayne drives through the town and comes upon a children’s community theater production. He decides to watch. Unknown to Dayne, this group is called CKT, for Christian Kids Theater. Their director is Katy Hart, and Dayne is instantly drawn to her. In her mid-twenties and beautiful, she gets up to speak before the production begins. Although he doesn’t know her, he falls in love with her innocence and her spirit, but then leaves before meeting her.
Back in Hollywood, Dayne is looking for a leading actress that fits Katy’s description in the new movie he is working on, Dream On. Mitch Henry, the casting director, allows Dayne to contact Katy and fly her to Hollywood to audition for the part.
Many years ago, she did some television work and was very interested in being in movies. When her boyfriend at the time died, she gave it all up and settled in Bloomington to direct shows for the Christian group, CKT. She is interested in going to Hollywood just to see what will come of her experience. She doesn’t want to mention it to the family she lives with or her good friend until she knows how things will turn out.
Many plot twists and turns ensue, and Katy begins to see some of the downside of this dream she has. She is drawn to Dayne and knows that he needs to return to the Lord. She shares her faith with him.
He remains interested in her as she returns to Bloomington. I don’t want to give away the ending, and this is the first book in a five-part series, so it is nice to stay with one group of characters for a while. You will really enjoy this story and probably want to read the other books as well.
Patsy Ledbetter has written poetry, short stories, devotionals, and book reviews for many years. She has also been a drama instructor, special needs teacher and substitute teacher. She and Kevin have been married for 41 years. They recently lost their oldest son Craig, age 33. They now have three children, Vanessa, Bethany and David. They also have four grandchildren, Elyse, Aurora, Hayden, and Molly. Kevin has been a music pastor most of his life and together they serve the Lord in a local church. Patsy loves to read, pray, and spend time outdoors and with family and friends. Her main desire is to bring glory to God through all the talents He has given her.
