Summer Book Review #5

I've just completed a long novel that is one of the better ones I've read this summer.  The author is new to me.  Apparently, according to information on the back cover, he has made a name for him self by going around to bookstores and selling them single-handedly.  He is gathering a large audience.  

Setting:  Montana in 1991

Genre:  realistic fiction

Summary of book: The main character, Sam Pickett, never thought he'd stay in the tiny town of Willow Creek, Montana.  He came to this village to hide from violence that shattered his life.  However, he discovers that there is a spirit in Willow Creek that endures.....almost every inhabitant of this forgotten town has a story...a reason for taking a detour to this place....or a reason for staying. 

Sam is the coach of the hapless high school basketball team who have 0 wins and 93 losses.  He is moved by the bravery he sees in the everyday lives of the boys on the team and in the various town folk.  Drawing on the strength of the boys of the team, and sharing in the hope that they show despite insurmountable odds, Sam finally begins to see a future worth living.  Will this 5-boy team win a basketball game??  Will Sam overcome the fears of his past?  Will he find love again?  What lessons are learned from reading Blind Your Ponies??

The title was taken from a Native American legend about the Crow tribe:  the Crow warriors were coming back to their village (near present day Billings, Montana) from a long hunting trip.  When they arrived, they discovered that their wives, mothers, and children were all dead from a smallpox outbreak.  Overcome with grief, they blinded their ponies and rode them off the edge of a cliff, to meet up with their loved ones in the next world.

 This book has a little bit of a mystery to it but overall, it is a story of courage, passion, loss, and determination.

My thoughts:

I enjoyed the characters...there are many and they all have distinct personalities.

I did get "bogged down" a bit after reading through so many basketball games...but..the action in the book does keep the story line flowing....and of course you must read through to the end to find out what happens with this tiny town and it's people.

I highly recommend this novel.....it is appropriate for ages 14 and older.

I've really been doing a lot of reading this summer.  We are not traveling as much this summer for vacations due to our budget and getting our oldest daughter ready for her first year of college....it brings so many expenses!  So, I've had time in the evenings, sitting on the deck, to read.  I spend some afternoons, after housework or an activity with my youngest, just reading books.  We are all readers and we all are enjoying good books this summer.  I love being able to read various genres. I am almost done with a non fiction Christian book about women from various "third world" countries.....I plan on doing a review on that sometime in the next week or so.

What about you?  Are you reading any good books right now? Do you prefer non-fiction or fiction? or a little of both?