The Last Exchange

by Charles Martin

Dakota County Library hardcover 353 pages

Published: 2023

Genre: realistic action, mystery

I didn't tag this as Christian fiction, because that seemed a bit tenuous in this novel. Our book club has read a lot of Charles Martin books and I know he's a believer, but God didn't seem to feature very prominently in this book.

The main characters include Maybe Joe Sue, a frog-turned-princess character whose early life cycling through foster homes brought her into connection with a movie producer who helped her become a superstar; Kelly MacThomas Pockets, an ex-Scottish forces soldier and protector of the Queen; Syd, a skanky superstar married to Joe; and Amber, a high school dropout turned makeup artist turned Joe's best friend and surrogate.

Fertility issues were one main theme of this book, as well as selflessness, drug addiction, hope, and integrity. One of the discussion questions was about allegory . . . but none of us really saw that. (Discussion was last night. We had a delightful conversation.)

Page 149: "'If someone intends you harm, then they're saying by their actions, "I value me more than you." Or "I want what you have and I intend to take it." For whatever reason, they've come to the selfish conclusion that they matter more. That in their sick and twisted mind, they have more right to be here. To take something from you, whether your body or your possessions, simply because they want it.'"

Pockets is definitely my favorite character. He is a wise protector and counselor to Joe.

Page 161: "'One thing is true of all of us: nobody has their stuff together. Not presidents. Not paupers. Not soldiers. Not actors.' He glanced at her. 'We are all a mess. And no amount of money, and no amount of drugs, changes that. When you're broken, life is about finding the beauty in the mess.'"

The "beauty in the mess" theme came up quite a lot. It's interesting in a time period where "social influencers" make their lives look so effortlessly perfect that this message would have so much impact.

Page 170: "She smirked. 'Are all you Brits like this?'

'I'm Scottish, mum.'

She tested him. 'Same thing.'

He shook his head. 'No mum. Not by a long shot.'"

This type of repartee came up a few times. Pockets made me laugh!

Page 171 had some funny alliteration, again courtesy of Pockets: "I pray for the grace to remain armed with righteous restraint and not regress into retrograde reciprocity, or responsive revulsion rising out of an unrighteous rescue."

Page 261: "But if you press me, love is what makes us who we are. Hope is how we express us. Hope is love with legs."

This language (and the idea of love and hope being such an integral part of who we are) made me happy. This is my favorite quote from the book.

Page 320 - the letter from Joe read in court. This had less impact on me because I learned about it at our discussion and then finished reading the last fifty pages after I got home from book club. Bad time management on my part!

Page 329: "He said he wanted the viewers to know that 'husbands who love their wives do what is required because that's what love does.' Then he clasped a cross hanging around his neck, something he'd taken to lately for its strength, and talked about how 'greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.'"

Syd is such an awful character! ***Spoiler alert!*** Not only are his words and actions orchestrated to gain sympathy, he was actively working to prevent Joe holding on to her pregnancies. The trauma of her miscarriages was entirely his fault! What a complete jerk. Pockets, on the other hand, really did have the attitude of laying his life down for his friends.

Page 339: "'How far would any of you go for someone you love? Really? How far? If someone took your wife, daughter, husband, or son, how far is too far? Where's your limit? Where does love stop you?' I looked at Joe then back at all of them. 'Is there anything you wouldn't do?'"

The courtroom scene did get a little over-the-top, but I really like Pockets anyhow! Even replacing Syd's "sample" with his own was fine with me because Syd was so awful.

 

Page 341: "There's only one thing in this universe or any other that cuts through prison bars and sets us free from the prisons in which we live. And that thing is the truth. Without it, there is no freedom."

 

 Pockets rocked this book. And yes, the truth shall set you free. But Martin doesn't name the Truth. He avoids swearing, shares that Pockets' dad was a preacher, and hints at faith in Christ, but this is basically a clean action story with a hint of suspense.