The Impossible Love

Wildfire #36

by Arlene Hale

Just once, Jenny wants to have the edge on Pam...

Jenny and Pam. Sisters.

Pam is gorgeous. Jenny is "interesting-looking." Pam is popular. Jenny has two close friends. Pam has one boyfriend after another. Jenny is sure no boy but faithful Thad will ever look twice at her.

Until Mark. Mark comes to town, and Jenny is swept off her feet by the very sight of him. But that's before Mark is swept off his feet by Pam.

Sadly, Jenny watches them together—and dreams about herself and Mark. But it's an impossible dream, an impossible love... Or is it?

203 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1983

About the author

MARY ARLENE HALE (1924-1982) wrote more than 100 books under pseudonyms Arlene Hale, Gail Everett, Louise Christopher, and Lynn Williams. She lived in New London, Iowa, the youngest of four surviving children. Her father died when she was about seven years old when he slipped on ice while carrying a shotgun. Shortly after graduating from high school in 1941, she worked for the Iowa-Illinois Telephone Co., and on a factory assembly line during World War II. Initially she began writing poetry, and had some success with this, then wrote her first book in 1948 and became a full-time novelist in 1954, at the age of 30. She never married and lived with her mother until her death, of cancer, at age 57.

Reviews

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my early - mid teens I read many "Sweet Dreams" romances and several "Wildfire" books. This was my favourite book from the "Wildfire" series. I re-read it again 30 years later and I had to admit, much to my surprise, I enjoyed it just as much as I did as a teenager. The book follows Jenny's growing friendship with Mark, a boy whom she meets at a local park whilst jogging with her father. Her popular sister Pam notices the newcomer Mark at school and manages to ensnare him as a boyfriend. Jenny tries to hide her feelings for Mark but her friendship with him starts to create a rift between the sisters and tension in the family. A lovely clean read for teens and adults who remember what it was like being in love as a teenager.

[Reading with Cats · Rating 3 out of 5]

The moping, it is strong in this one.

[Sarai · Rating 4 out of 5]

From back cover:
Jenny and Pam. Sisters. Pam is gorgeous. Jenny is "interesting looking." Pam is popular. Jenny has two close friends. Pam has one boyfriend after another. Jenny is sure no boy but faithful Thad will ever look twice at her. Then comes Mark. Mark comes to town, and Jenny is swept off her feet by the very thought of him. But that's before Mark is swept off his feet by Pam. Sadly, Jenny watches them together - and dreams about herself and Mark. But it's an impossible dream... an impossible love. Or is it?

I did not get into this series like I did the Sweet Dreams, but this is one book I bought and read so much that it is currently taped to death around the edges to keep it together. Jenny is an artist and gets her own bedroom up in the attic, which I thought sounded lovely (even though I was an only child and always had my own room - don't ask me why it seemed so nice).