Member Review
Review by
Lauren M, Reviewer
When I received the email from NetGalley alerting me that Katherine Center’s” Hello, Stranger” was available to “read now” for a limited time, I immediately downloaded it to my Kindle device. I was looking forward to experiencing the same kind of magic that I felt while reading Center’s previous book” The Bodyguard”; I am very happy to say that I did.
In “Hello, Stranger” we are introduced to portrait artist Sadie Montgomery. After years of struggling in the art world her luck has finally turned for the better when she becomes a finalist in a prestigious competition for portrait artists. Sadie knows that placing in this contest is the big break that she has been waiting for. Even better winning means that she will finally acquire the validation that she has been craving for choosing a tenuous career path such as portraiture. Unfortunately, Sadie’s lucky streak runs out because after suffering from a non-convulsive seizure while crossing the street in front of her building, she becomes afflicted with Prosopagnosia. In laymen’s terms she now has face blindness and understandably, as someone who makes a living painting people’s faces, Sadie feels that her world has come to an end.
This sudden face blindness that Sadie experiences doesn’t just derail her plans of winning the North American Portrait Society’s contest it also messes up her plans of never asking for help. Ever. Here is a little backstory on our heroine Sadie. She lost her mother very suddenly when she was just 14 years old, and her father was too grief stricken to be there for her emotionally. Her dad makes the situation worse when he marries her “Evil Stepmother” six months later. Before the ink is dry on the marriage certificate Lucinda proceeds to erase all traces of Sadie’s mother. As a result, this teaches Sadie from a young age that she cannot depend on anyone for anything other than herself. However, due to her current condition and much to her dismay, people are coming out of the woodworks to assist her during her time of need. One of those people is her neighbor Joe, who happens to have the not ironic nickname “Mr. Helpful”.
Sadie and Joe make quite the pair. She’s allergic to anything that looks like help while giving assistance is simply an instinct that Joe cannot and will not ignore. After much protestation, Sadie eventually decides to accept his help as she adapts to her Prosopagnosia. Eventually they spark up a friendship, which turns into a sweet romance.
Surprisingly, Lucinda also steps in to help Sadie, which really irritates her at first. However, every time Sadie slams the door in her face, her stepmom just doubles down and keeps trying. It isn’t until Lucinda does the ultimate kind gesture that counteracts her past efforts to erase her mom, that Sadie finally decides to forgive her. Her stepmother is not the only one who makes amends. Sadie’s father, who is obviously affected by his daughter’s medical trauma, finally tries to open up emotionally to her. Even though they have a long road towards full recovery, Center leaves readers with a hopeful note.
It isn’t long before Sadie learns that her viewpoint on life is skewed. She now knows that it is okay to ask for help and there are kind people around her who are willing to give it to her. It doesn’t make her weak to lean on people but it does make her strong to have the courage to ask for help when she needs it. I think this is a great and important message. Incidentally, this is what I enjoy most about Katherine Center’s writing; I can never read one of her books without learning something significant and valuable. Even before reading “Hello, Stranger”, I knew that I would love it.What I didn’t know was that I would love it even more than “The Bodyguard” and that one is a hard act to follow. I wholeheartedly recommend this book. Anyone who reads this is in for a spectacular treat!
In “Hello, Stranger” we are introduced to portrait artist Sadie Montgomery. After years of struggling in the art world her luck has finally turned for the better when she becomes a finalist in a prestigious competition for portrait artists. Sadie knows that placing in this contest is the big break that she has been waiting for. Even better winning means that she will finally acquire the validation that she has been craving for choosing a tenuous career path such as portraiture. Unfortunately, Sadie’s lucky streak runs out because after suffering from a non-convulsive seizure while crossing the street in front of her building, she becomes afflicted with Prosopagnosia. In laymen’s terms she now has face blindness and understandably, as someone who makes a living painting people’s faces, Sadie feels that her world has come to an end.
This sudden face blindness that Sadie experiences doesn’t just derail her plans of winning the North American Portrait Society’s contest it also messes up her plans of never asking for help. Ever. Here is a little backstory on our heroine Sadie. She lost her mother very suddenly when she was just 14 years old, and her father was too grief stricken to be there for her emotionally. Her dad makes the situation worse when he marries her “Evil Stepmother” six months later. Before the ink is dry on the marriage certificate Lucinda proceeds to erase all traces of Sadie’s mother. As a result, this teaches Sadie from a young age that she cannot depend on anyone for anything other than herself. However, due to her current condition and much to her dismay, people are coming out of the woodworks to assist her during her time of need. One of those people is her neighbor Joe, who happens to have the not ironic nickname “Mr. Helpful”.
Sadie and Joe make quite the pair. She’s allergic to anything that looks like help while giving assistance is simply an instinct that Joe cannot and will not ignore. After much protestation, Sadie eventually decides to accept his help as she adapts to her Prosopagnosia. Eventually they spark up a friendship, which turns into a sweet romance.
Surprisingly, Lucinda also steps in to help Sadie, which really irritates her at first. However, every time Sadie slams the door in her face, her stepmom just doubles down and keeps trying. It isn’t until Lucinda does the ultimate kind gesture that counteracts her past efforts to erase her mom, that Sadie finally decides to forgive her. Her stepmother is not the only one who makes amends. Sadie’s father, who is obviously affected by his daughter’s medical trauma, finally tries to open up emotionally to her. Even though they have a long road towards full recovery, Center leaves readers with a hopeful note.
It isn’t long before Sadie learns that her viewpoint on life is skewed. She now knows that it is okay to ask for help and there are kind people around her who are willing to give it to her. It doesn’t make her weak to lean on people but it does make her strong to have the courage to ask for help when she needs it. I think this is a great and important message. Incidentally, this is what I enjoy most about Katherine Center’s writing; I can never read one of her books without learning something significant and valuable. Even before reading “Hello, Stranger”, I knew that I would love it.What I didn’t know was that I would love it even more than “The Bodyguard” and that one is a hard act to follow. I wholeheartedly recommend this book. Anyone who reads this is in for a spectacular treat!
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