What She Did Right--Showing Silence (Escape to the Sea by Tera Mecham)

Author Tera Mecham's new novel, Escape to the Sea, is a sweet romance about a young woman who finally finds love, marriage, and delicious romance with a handsome man after having been jilted at the alter two years earlier. While there are many great things about this story, such as the exotic settings and Mecham's ability to effectively and sweetly show the physical and emotional attraction between a man and a woman, one of my favorites is that Mecham beautifully shows moments of silence rather than telling us that time has passed. For example, during a dinner scene, Mecham writes: "A soft breeze blew across the table, and I placed my hand
on my napkin so it wouldn’t flutter away." If the author intended only to show action during the conversation, she could have left it at "I placed my hand on my napkin" or even "I moved my napkin to my lap." However, with the added details, Mecham shows both a moment of silence and a description of the setting. LOVED IT!