Thursday, July 10, 2008

"Wind River" Book Review and Giveaway!



This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing


Wind River

(Bethany House July 1, 2008)

by

Tom Morrisey



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tom Morrisey is a mountaineer, aviator, shipwreck diver, and explorer, who holds a Full Cave certification from the National Speleological Society - Cave Diving Section.

He has launched, edited or contributed to numerous national publications and is an award-winning adventure-travel writer. A popular speaker, he is also active in both evangelism and the arts. Morrisey earned an MFA in creative writing from Bowling Green State University, and his fiction has been featured in numerous anthologies and magazines.

His first novel, Yucatan Deep (Zondervan, 2002) was a finalist for the Christy award, and he is the author of four other novels: In High Places (Bethany House Publishers, 2007), Dark Fathom (Zondervan, 2005), Deep Blue, (Zondervan 2004), and Turn Four (Zondervan 2004). In addition Tom has also written two nonfiction books: 20 American Peaks & Crags (Contemporary Books, 1978) and Wild by Nature (Baker Books, 2001). He and his family live in Orlando, Florida.

ABOUT THE BOOK


You Can't Outrun the Sins of Your Past
Desperate to forget what happened to him in Iraq, Tyler Perkins flees to the emptiness of Wyoming. He's here to escape and also to fulfill a long-ago promise by accompanying his 86-year-old friend Soren Andeman on a fly-fishing trip--once more for old time's sake. But their trek to an idyllic trout lake soon becomes something more deeply harrowing--a journey that uncovers long-held lies, deadly crimes, and the buried secrets of the past. Ty barely has time to contemplate the question of what constitutes justice when nature unleashes her own revenge. Trapped in a race back to safety, he must face his own guilt-ridden past or risk being consumed.

Powerfully imagined by the acclaimed author of In High Places, Wind River is an engaging wilderness adventure that explores the power of confession, the beauty of forgiveness, and the freedom of truth unveiled.

If you would like to read the first chapter, go HERE

MY REVIEW:
This book was different from most that I have read lately - it's not chicklit, action, young adult, fantasy/sci-fi, comedy - in fact it took awhile for me to figure out what it would be classified as. Personally I would rank it as drama/mystery. It is a touching story of Ty who goes back to Wyoming where he spent much of his childhood fishing with Soren, a grandpa type to him. He made a promise when he was young to one day bring Soren back when he was too old to come himself. The time has now come to fulfill that promise and so Ty heads back to the mountains of Wyoming for one last trip.
You know from the beginning that Ty needs to exercise his demons from Iraq and that eventually we will find out what exactly happened to him that has disconnected him from his wife and made him miserable. What we don't really know is that Soren has some demons to exercise too and that is where the book gets really interesting. And just when we figure all that out we realize that someone else needs to get something off their chest too... And through all of it one thing shines clearly - no matter what has happened in our past, it's not too big for Jesus to forgive. I cried toward the end, but felt a strange relief as the book finished that everything was right with the world.
It was a good book and I will give away my copy of it so if you would like to be entered then leave a comment with your email address (all entries without one are disqualified) and tell me if you have ever been fishing and who you usually went with... Good luck!

18 comments:

Gretchen Geyer said...

Growing up, my Dad used to take me and my siblings fishing. That is a great memory...we would get up at 4 and head off in the dark to sit in the damp mornings...I never could bait my own hook. We were in Kansas, so we usually caught catfish, that was a good dinner! :) Yes, please enter me into the drawing! DreamWriter07@yahoo.com.

Cara Putman said...

Since I didn't have time to read the book, I've put your review on my blog and am sending folks here to enter your contest :-)

kamewh said...

I fished a lot when I was younger with my dad but in the past 10 years or so I have not been. Thank you for the giveaway!

Carolynn said...

I have never been fishing, but I would like to! My family could never go because my younger sister is allergic to fish. Thanks for the chance to win the book!

Carolynn said...

My email addy is carolynnwald[at]hotmail[dot]com

Lora Lease said...

I LOVE to go fishing! I went as a little girl with my Dad, and a couple of times with my husband. Thanks for another great review & giveaway! :)

windycindy said...

We have taken our two sons to cabins in various state parks. We fish with them there! Please enter me in your fantastic book giveaway. I really appreciate it! Many thanks, Cindi
jchoppes[at]hotmail[dot]com

traveler said...

Wonderful giveaway which I would enjoy. We used to go fishing when we were younger every summer at a fishing camp in Ontario on a lovely lake. My father would go out everyday and I would accompany him in the boat. Wonderful times which I think of way back when.
elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

ruth said...

I enjoyed reading this review and would love to read this book. Thanks for the great giveaway. We fished on Lake Huron when we had our summer vacation. My father spent every single summer away fishing. My mother would grill the fish. Long ago and far away.

Carole said...

Drama/mystery is my favorite category and I would love to read this book. Thank you for the chance to win a copy.

cjarvis [at] bellsouth [dot] net

Anonymous said...

I've been fishing but I don't think it's something that will becoming a habit. the books looks like a good one though. please enter me in your contest.

ldneuhof(at)hotmail(dot)com

The Book Club Network - TBCN said...

By the sound of your review this one looks good. Could you please put my name in for the drawing.
Thanks

Nora

~Rebekah~ said...

Went Fishing with my dad as a child, but never really got into the quiet time needed to do so. As an adult I'd like to one day try it again.

Hisirishgem@gmail.com

cathikin said...

I think the fishing is pretty uch a device to carry the real story, which sounds like it's exorcising those demons that have been plaguing these two men. From the intro to Tom Morrisey, I imagine he will excel in his details of the nature in the story, but the characters sound particularly impelling.

Cathi H.
chassan2 at hotmail dot com

Anonymous said...

Cathi hit it on the head. Fishing is the bracketing activity here that ties these two men together. I chose fly fishing because it is physically beautiful to watch and viscerally satisfying to do. And it is a necessary activity on this trip, as they've decided to live off the land (or lakes, as it may be). But a similar story could have been told through the folds of any other bonding activity--hunting, restoring an old car or motorcycle, or repairing a house. Still, as the comments here suggest, we tend to identify fishing with our childhoods, and with people who love us, and that adds to the story. Guess it's a good thing I didn't have them restore a car together!

Anonymous said...

It has been years ago, but my grandparents used to take me fishing. How I miss those peaceful times with two very special people.

Please enter me in the drawing.

Mary Jo Robertson
rcmjrobertson (at) sbcglobal (dot) net

Mimi N said...

How in the world have I missed your reviews?! I have to check my Feedblitz!! I've only gone fishing a couple of times and when I say that, I mean, I've been with my kids and watched my aunt take off the fish and bait the hook. I hold the line when the boys hook one and we take a picture. Baiting a hook seems so icky. I know, I'm such a girl sometimes. Worm guts, who needs 'em?

Please enter me to win if you're still having the contest.

In Christ,
Mimi B

mnjesusfreak at gmail dot com

Janna said...

And the winner is...

bluesummerskies!!!

Congrats!