I found it hard to believe that this is Lewis' first book. His command of the English language is like nothing I have seen since Pat Conroy -I had to carry around a dictionary for Conroy and I wanted to carry around a dictionary with Lewis' book too. That is a good thing to my mind. Lewis' writing style is very descriptive without overdoing it - sometimes impossible especially for a southern writer! He is concise, yet quietly paints the reader a picture not only what the eye can see, but of what the heart can feel.
The story is about family, about a father and son who live parallel lives, always in dread. Wait, that sounds depressing! But this story, while a tiny bit dark or even gothic in places, was not depressing for me. It was fascinating. Henry grows up in a small remote NC town where his father is a brilliant lawyer but spends most of his time locked away trying to write his Great American Novel. Henry is a great big brother to his sister Threnody, and reads to her every night. The book goes back in time to describe how Henry's parents met, and takes Henry on through his life in college and beyond, and his relationship with the girl called Story, who of course has a story of her own. Henry's father's disappearance when Henry is 15 is a turning point for Henry, as it should be, but becomes a much greater plot point when we finally learn what really happened to his father. Henry's reluctance to return home, for years at the time, became a troubled spot for me as a reader - it seemed out of character but I think was necessary for Henry's state of mind. And the second half of the book, focusing on Story, seemed almost another book in itself - the second or third chapter if you will in Henry's life. The mystery of her family almost overshadows Henry's past!
My favorite lines: "It took them less than a day to move in and the rest of their lives to leave."
"We left her there, where her magnificent heart diminished."
My favorite new words: fuliginous...deliquesce....cataleptic....malefic....illimitable....erubescent....
(At one point, a character mentions the undulant lake - then makes fun of his own use of the word! I loved it! Wink!!)
If you enjoy beautiful writing, an engrossing story of family, loss, secrets, abandonment, growth, forgiveness and love, this is the book for you. I can't wait to read Lewis' other books. I am sure there will be many. I was lucky enough to meet Mr. Lewis at our book club meeting last month, and I assure you he is a fantastic story teller, with a wicked and quick sense of humor that you don't see much of in this novel, so I hope he lets that spark shine through in another book. He had us all in stitches as he discussed the book, the publishing process, and the many many many many edits he had to go through. (The only one they missed was when Beth Ann said "you guys." Hello, she is from Mississippi, y'all!!!!) We thoroughly enjoyed the evening with him and look forward to having him come again with his second book, which is currently rattling around in his head. Whoo hoo!
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