Splenditude by Eileen T. Lynch

TITLE INFORMATION

Splenditude

Eileen T. Lynch

High Frequency Press, 234 pages

9781962931199, 6.26.25

Overall Rating = 3.5

Storyline & Concept = 3.5

Writing & Delivery = 3

Editorial = 4

Deidre Collins is shaped by her dream to be a published author. Her disappointments send her into the spiral of mental illness, affecting her home life, her relationships, and her schooling and employment. Along the way, she meets Max, a young man also struggling with mental illness. Their connection is brief but memorable. Several years pass as Deirdre finally finds meaning and purpose working with at-risk teens in rural Illinois. When Max enters her life again, he disrupts her quiet existence, leaving a trail of hope, betrayal, revenge, and forgiveness.

This multi-layered novel paints Deirdre’s emotional landscape with tenderness and precision. It deals with the fragile nature of mental health, the costs of artistic ambition, moral dilemmas, and compassion for others. The author writes with emotional intelligence and literary reverence, but at times the narrative varied from feeling rushed to spending too much time on characters or situations that contributed little or nothing to the plot. There were also instances of inconsistencies that created some confusion for me.  However, the author’s talent for literary prose managed to shine. This novel will speak to anyone who has wrestled with failure, longed for recognition, or been torn between compassion and justice.

Sublime Line: “A quietly powerful story about finding peace not in achievement, but in authenticity.”

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