I would not risk my reputation as a writer or the good opinion of my readers on a book I didn’t think was important.
It’s not perfect. If I were the editor, I (might) take out some occasional wordiness. I even must admit that it has a little bit of a slow start. Before I knew the main character, Jacob, I didn’t much care what or why he thought as he does.
But I started to love him. I started to love Prudence. I found myself not wanting to lay the book aside when I was too tired to read.
Part way through, I was somewhat rude to my mother-in-law, opting to stay in the car reading while Jeff walked her into her home. I usually am attentive and eager to participate in such formalities.
It’s been awhile since I had a book in which I was fully engaged. What’s more, I didn’t expect to like it. I felt brave by undertaking to read it, fully expecting to have to gently tell the author, (whom I know well) to keep trying and hoping and maybe take some writing classes.
I’m not even entirely sure that the author himself understands the magic he has wrought. I can’t even tell you what the genre is. Folktale? humor? family? religious? But it will get you to thinking and laughing, hating, loving and repenting in turn.
I say in the title of this post that I can joyfully recommend The Backward Ride of Jacob Markoby: The Unexpected, by Mark E Mitchell because I finished the book with a satisfied sigh, not wanting to know in advance what stories the sequel has in store, but eager to read it when it is published. I believe myself to be a bit of a literary snob, but I can think of no audience, (other than young children) who would not only enjoy, but benefit from reading this tale. And that feeling brings me joy because I feel like I have discovered something important that almost nobody else knows about. The fact that the author is my brother doubles my delight. This is far from his first book, but this is the first that has delighted me.
It’s $2.99 on Kindle and $9.99 in paperback.
Here’s a link to it on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/Backward-Ride-Jacob-Markoby-Unexpected-ebook/dp/B073S15STP
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