A Note From An Old Acquaintance by Bill Walker

Brian Weller has just opened an email that will change his life.  At the lowest point of his life both personally and professionally, he receives an email from an old flame.  This was the woman he loved in his youth and that he let get away.  Nothing that has happened since; his career as a well-known novelist or the fame and fortune that accompanies that has changed the regret he has felt about letting Joanna Richman get away.

Brian and Joanna meet as young artists.  He is a budding novelist; she is a sculptress.  They fall in love quickly, both recognizing the other as a soulmate who understands what it takes to be an artist.  They support each other and encourage each others' creativity.  But their love is doomed from the start.

Joanna is engaged to a rich and powerful man.  Although he doesn't understand her, he is not about to let an impoverished writer take her away.   He is determined to do whatever it takes to retain her, whether that means playing dirty or forcing them apart.  He puts Brian in an impossible situation that can only be resolved by leaving Joanna behind.

Sixteen years have now passed, and Joanna has written Brian to strike back up their friendship.  Brian is at loose ends, finished with one book and starting another, and he decides to go to Boston where Joanna lives and renew their acquaintance.  The story of what happens when these past lovers are reunited moves the novel to its climax.

Bill Walker has created a novel with interesting characters and a fascinating look at the inner workings of an artist's life.  The plotline is taut and the reader is drawn along with the characters, unable to move on without finding out how their dilemnas are resolved.  This book is recommended for lovers of romance as well as those who enjoy reading about moral choices.