Short Story: "Challenge of the Wind" by Pauline Brock

"Challenge of the Wind" by Pauline Brock
a short story

Illustrated by Fancett

4/5

from WOMAN'S ILLUSTRATED magazine, November 1st, 1958, pg 10


First Sentence:  "Lynn was packing her clothes and pressing her dress when she saw the truck ploughing along the little sandy track from the paved road."

Last Sentence:  "We'll start clearing the land - to-morrow."

Author:  I can't find any information on this author.  There are a lot of Pauline Brocks, only one an author but her works were mostly from the '80s so most likely not her.

This is an old-fashioned story, which is an example of the time it was written in.  It is certainly classified as women's fiction romance.  The relationship between the husband and wife is too out-dated to be realistic by today's standards but yet I still enjoyed the read.  I thought it was well-written and also a quaint story of love conquering all.

As the story opens we find Lynn packing her stuff as she is leaving her husband of two years and headed back to her mother.  Kay is not an independent women, but her marriage is lacking emotion, feelings, friends and company.  Her husband has a peach orchard which he spends entire days working in. Coming home filthy and smelling full of chemicals.  Neat tidy Kate who had at first set the table for husband but now leaves a plaid tablecloth and just plunks a meal in front of him and is fed up with this daily routine of unhappiness and the contempt she has grown for her husband.

However, on the day she is to leave, a hurricane comes through the area and she and Jim are stuck in the house.  They work together as a team storm proofing the house; Jim tries to get her down to town but the truck won't start and they end up waiting out the storm together.  Communication is not well between them and suddenly Lynn cracks and tells Jim what she thinks of his precious trees and how she hates them.  He didn't know.  He planted them for her.  He works, toils and loves "them trees" for her, so she'll have money.  This touches her heart.  They become closer and figure if they can weather a hurricane they can weather anything marriage brings to them.  Sappy, old-fashioned but I have to admit I enjoyed it.  I enjoyed the writing and I think Jim, the strong, silent-type, appealed to me LOL