Author: Jerry Borrowman
Publisher: Covenant Communications
Publishing Date: April 2009
Length: 267 Pages
Summary: (From author's website)Artie Call can't get a break. Orphaned during the Depression, he steals food to survive. When mischief lands him in juvenile court, he's offered a home by fellow ward member David Boone, but then suffers under Boone's unkind and unyielding treatment. And after Artie helps the victim of a robbery gone bad, he's abandoned by Boone and is almost sentenced to juvenile hall.
Then his luck and life suddenly change.
Mary Wilkerson, the feisty widow who was robbed, sees potential in Artie and takes him into her custody. Ray McCandless, the wise yet firm chauffeur, teaches Artie about cars, life, and the connections between the two. Under their care, Artie develops the desire and the ability to leave his past behind and grasp the hope in his future, which shines like Mary's luxurious Duesenberg. But when cornered by old enemies, will he defend his honor with his life?
My Thoughts: Yes, the cover is slightly creepy with his distant, half smile and all that, but this book was wonderful. I cried through the entire second half and then started bawling again at the last sentence. This author clearly has a talent for weaving beautiful, emotionally connecting stories. The hero of the story, Artie, is a character dear to my heart; truth be told, this entire story is something I feel very strongly about. For over a year my head has been filled with the stories of orphan children and their struggling to make a home in a place where it feels like they are not wanted because of their backgrounds. To have a story so closely tied to the one I am writing be put in front of me was like finding a dear friend.
As this is a historical fiction novel, the attention to detail was beautiful, though a little tedious at times. I enjoyed reading about a subject where the author had clearly taken his time in careful research. The characters were dominant personalities and quickly lovable. I laughed and cried and worried with them.
It was so refreshing to sit down to a story and have it be clean and well paced. Not once did I cringe or find anything to be obscene or suggestive. I have picked up another historical fiction novel by this author about the two World Wars (cue the water works) and am quite excited to see what heart touching tales he weaves in that new series.
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