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Robin Merrill is an award-winning writer and performance poet from rural central Maine where she lives with her husband, their two children, and many, many animals. She is the author of the #1 Amazon Bestselling Shelter and the popular Jesus Diet devotionals. Her individual poems, essays, and short stories have appeared in hundreds of publications, and three of her poems have been featured on The Writer's Almanac with Garrison Keillor. She has featured in venues all over the country and has won the opportunity to represent Maine at three national poetry slams.
Reviewed by Patricia Day for Readers' Favorite
Shelter by Robin Merrill immediately takes you into Maggie's world. Maggie’s life was idyllic, or so it would appear to onlookers. Her partner was a successful professional. Their house could be compared to a mansion, yet she was unhappy. It was nothing she could put her finger on, just a nagging feeling of emptiness. She should have been wonderfully happy, and yet she wasn’t. She felt worthless. In an attempt to change her lot, Maggie heads out into a storm with nothing much in mind. She just needs to get away. She implores God to help her. So she drives until she cannot go any further, landing in a tiny town by the name of Mattawooptock. It did sport a small church which ran a shelter for the homeless. Filled with society's hapless failures to all intents and purposes, how can they be of any use to Maggie? And a local business, a garage run by Galen, could be a blessing. Why she ended up in this God-forsaken place mystified her. What on earth was she doing here?
I found this a delightful book. Maggie’s plight is self-induced. She chose to run - to find herself. Her life becomes intriguing as the characters within the shelter and from the township begin to impact on her mindset. She questions her choices constantly. The ramifications of staying in Mattawooptock bring her a sense of utter peace beyond her expectations, and her gradual acceptance of the colorful characters encountered each day help begin to build a ‘new’ Maggie. I found her gradual transformation totally endearing and believable. Loved it. A thoroughly recommended read.
