Genre: Fiction
Released: November 22nd 2011
Publisher: Tate Publishing
Available Formats: Paperback, Kindle E-Book
THE STORMS OF DELIVERANCE is a remarkable novel featuring descriptive prose which paints a vivid image of a man forcefully separated from his familiar narrative of the world.
Johnson wakes by the side of the road in a different car, outfit, city, and decade than he fell asleep in, and comes to the conclusion the he must have unconsciously traveled through time and space. He embarks on a journey to figure out just how he arrived where he is, and what has happened to his loved ones.
In glimpses of his past we see that for his whole life, Johnson wanted more than anything to become a renowned baseball player. He had phenomenal skills yet his body failed him, disappointment after disappointment driving him to the bottle for relief. His relationship with his girlfriend Katy suffered a serious blow when she decided she wanted more out of life than the desperate existence he had condemned himself to.
I found the back and forth between time and place to be hard to follow at first, but that confusing quality is later revealed to be the crucial foundation upon which the story turns, and a valuable tool for understanding the mindset of the protagonist as he makes his way through an alienating world.
Creepy encounters with two mysterious characters--one seemingly sinister, the other apparently benign--add an extra element of instability to his plight, making it clear that even as strange as his situation already is, all is not as it seems.
This was not a "jolly and fun" type of book; it was one which was emotional and intriguing. Even at his worst, Johnson is a sympathetic character. He could be any one of us if we were struck with the spiritual hangover born from the realization that it's too late to salvage unfulfilled dreams.
THE STORMS OF DELIVERANCE was a believable, moving examination of failure and denial through the eyes of a formerly ambitious addict. This story serves as a great allegory about finding one's way when all seems lost, and preserving in the face of forces that may attempt to drag one down or turn one around. Despite the underlying statement about hope, the tale is devoid of any heavy-handed, preachy or trite platitudes that often plague written works attempting a similar message.
Larry Higdon's THE STORMS OF DELIVERANCE is available at these and other stores:
BetterWorldBooks.com
Books A Million.com
Amazon.com
Abebooks.com
BarnesandNoble.com
--Assena V
A version of this review was previously posted on BarnesandNoble.com and on Goodreads.com on March 1, 2016
No comments:
Post a Comment