Stepping into the past...
...with two new books.
I’m excited to share with you two new books that I’ve recently read. One was published August of last year, the other is set to be released this year on November 23rd. The soon-to-be-released book is by my talented friend, Emma Klopp, an international award-winning author. It is titled, A Bay Horse Named Sage. Last week she unveiled this charming cover:
If you love historic, heart-warming fiction about horses, this is the one for you. Mark November 23rd on your calendars for its official release. You’ll love it!
The other book is Where Only Storms Grow by Alyssa Colman. It is set in the dusty past of April 14, 1935. Or as the Chapter states, “The End of the World.”
From the get-go, this drama, grounded in the tragic reality of the Dust Bowl, is heartbreaking. It seemed to promise lots of death, destruction, and unrelenting sadness. So much so, that three chapters in I thought I might have to put it aside. But, thankfully, I didn’t let these initial impressions deter me, because it proved to be a rewarding read with both light-hearted moments and strong character development.
The story is told through the vantage point of twins—a boy and a girl—and alternates between their viewpoints. The siblings, who used to share the same thoughts, are growing apart and are frustrated that they no longer understand each other. The girl has been diagnosed with scoliosis, and her family is being protective to keep her from over-exerting herself. This increasingly makes her feel not just feeble, but useless and sidelined. (I suspected while reading this that the author might be drawing from her own experience with scoliosis, and later the back matter confirmed I was not wrong). Her brother is also a fully rounded character, dealing with his own set of issues, such as shouldering more of the farm responsibilities as their dad seeks employment in California. The hope comes in as we see the characters growing stronger as they face and overcome each new dilemma. I found the switching narrative device to be an effective way for me, as the reader, to understand how they grow apart, and to make each one sympathetic when at times the characters are not being understanding or entirely fair to the other. By the end, I’d grown so attached to the characters, I found myself wanting to do my own renditions of them.
The Author’s Note and Acknowledgments detail the painstaking research that went into creating this book set in the Dust Bowl. I’m grateful for that care, because it serves not just as entertainment but also an effective warning for today’s man-made climate problems, as well as providing possible solutions for how to deal with them on both a macro and a micro, individual level. Author Notes have become my favorite part of reading books. Oh, speaking of favorite parts, check out this keen note written to Wiist Lore on the title page:
Aside from whittling down my massive To Be Read pile, I’ve also been working on more art from my own next novel. If things progress this week as I hope they will I’ll have some more of that to share in next week’s column. Wish me luck, and stay tuned!
Until next time, Always Be Creating & Stay Strong!
—Bill