There is little in Acts of Love of a socially sensitive nature. The novel does, however, deal with the social problem of ecology versus "progress" as Daly details the environmental destruction resulting from the construction of a new highway. The six-lane by-pass is deemed necessary by the State Highway Commission, although its construction will cut a swath through cherished woodlands and destroy whole stands of trees. The dilemma thus presented by Daly is not right against wrong, but right against right and what is the larger good. The book raises such provocative issues as: 1) Are the rights of the group more important than the rights of the individual? 2) Is the need for better transportation a more important consideration than environmental protection? 3) Can the Right of Eminent Domain be abused as decisions that affect not only the ecology, but the well-being of entire towns, are often made...