I must begin by stressing that this is not a new O’Malley novel. It is, however, a novella centered around the one O’Malley sibling who didn’t get a book. Since I personally would jump at even ten pages more of lives with the O’Malley clan, I found 160 pages a real cause for celebration…but in the end like all of Mrs. Henderson’s story there is a sense that I could have twice as many pages and still be looking for more.

The other aspect of this story if you’ve read any of the other O’Malley books is that you know what’s coming for Jennifer. From the first twinge in her back a few pages in, the reader knows more than the characters do. It’s sort of like the Star Wars prequels. No matter how cute an eight year old Anakin is, there is never a moment that the black mask and harsh breathing isn’t looming in the back of your mind. I thought it was very brave as Mrs. Henderson to try and go back for this story, but she really made it work and added a beautiful chapter to the family’s story.

While Jennifer is present throughout the other books, this is first time I felt we got to know her on the same level as her siblings. Like all her brothers and sisters, she is a deeply compassionate person with a desire to heal and mend the world around her. I also think all the other characters are always added to when we get to see them through another set of eyes. All the siblings love each deeply, and all the characterizations remain similar, but each O’Malley has just a slightly different way of looking at all the others that continually makes the picture clearer.

However, as wonderful as it was to finally met Jennifer, I felt it was Tom who stole the book. I don’t remember any of the other O’Malleys’ significant others being fleshed out so completely. It actually stopped being a story about Jennifer and became a story about Jennifer and Tom. And like Mrs. Henderson’s newest novel Full Disclosure, I felt that they romance was less cute and more mature. I’ve always liked how she handles relationships, but if these two books represent a slight shift in how she writes them, I think I’m going to be liking them a whole lot more.

If you’re a fan of the O’Malleys, definitely look for this new chapter when it comes out in May. If you haven’t met the O’Malleys yet, you have a month. Go forth and read.

My thanks to Bethany House for providing me with a copy of Jennifer via NetGalley in return for my honest opinion of the book.