Tempus Fugit by Mavis Applewater

Publisher:              Blue Feather Books
 
Tempus Fugit covers five decades in the lives of Ellen Druette and Ginny Swenson. They meet and fall in love when they are both cheerleaders at the same high school and just discovering what sexuality is about. Their roles as members of the privileged clique and their relationship come to a crashing halt when Laurie Swenson, Ginny's "evil twin," uses Ginny's identification to break a law and Ginny takes the fall for her. Ellen learns a hard lesson in knowing who your friends really are when rumors about her and Ginny begin to circulate.

While Ginny serves a prison term that stretches on for years, Ellen attends college and law school, determined to prove that Ginny was falsely convicted. She continues her efforts even after Ginny is released from prison and Ellen hopes to resume the relationship, but Ginny can't settle down after being confined. They spend years drifting in and out of each other's lives, always connected, but never committed to each other since neither one has the confidence or courage to say the words the other one needs to hear.

As they move from the 1950's, through the turbulent 60's, other relationships come and go as Ginny tries to find herself and Ellen continues to work to build her career and prove Ginny's innocence. Maybe they want to be more to each other than just passing friends, but there are many obstacles to overcome and no guarantee that they'll be able to accomplish that.
 
Mavis Applewater's fans know that she's not afraid to write a book that has some length to it. Applewater can carry a story through many episodes and intricate character developments. At the end of Tempus Fugit the reader will know all of the characters and their motivations extremely well. Some of the scenes seem redundant and material could have been edited out without compromising the story; however, everything fits together and it's pleasant reading, so leaving in those episodes allows the reader to become more engrossed in what is going on.

What is missing is the amount of sex scenes that normally pepper Applewater's work. There are those scenes, but, instead of being a major part of Tempus Fugit, the story has to carry itself without the titillation she usually offers. This makes for a stronger book and more interesting story. The characters aren't always jumping into bed every time a page turns, but have to interact in a way that is more realistic and makes them more dimensional.

This book is an opportunity to read a good story.