Acts of Love is distinguished neither by its plot development nor its characters. Elements of the plot, the romance between Retta and Dallas, the building of the highway, Retta's mother's earlier infatuation with Dallas's father, and the move to California, are so loosely connected they appear to be separate sketches. Likewise, the characters are too one-sided to be memorable. However, there are two qualities which lift the book above the mundane and make it often powerful. One of these is the lack of condescension with which the author treats her characters. Although Retta is only sixteen and this is her first romance, Daly does not belittle or demean its seriousness. When Retta questions God, "Are you going to break my heart till I can't stand it anymore?" the reader accepts as true that Retta's heart is breaking. It is this honest portrayal of the feelings of...