Intense and evocative…
Deeply engrossing and poignant, Woodard’s third in Shakertown Adventure series is designed to take the reader on a though-provoking journey through a time in a small southern town in America when personal dreams and misfortunes were determined by the color of a person’s skin. Set in the 1920s America, Woodard blends fiction and history to fashion a marvelous coming-of-age story. Struggling with his inner demons, fourteen-year-old Tom Wallace hates everything about his life in Kentucky, a quiet southern town, but a brutal racial killing makes things utterly unbearable for him. Getting his hands on a lost gold treasure hidden somewhere in the town becomes more than a necessity after he finds himself completely alienated from others. But the escape doesn’t bring him much desired peace. After leaving everything behind, Tom realizes that he is unable to evade his inner demons. To make peace with his own conscience, Tom must make a difficult decision. Woodard’s narrative buzzes with authoritative confidence and an inviting tone as he brilliantly mingles the mundane with the thought-provoking. There are a multitude of characters that Woodard expertly weaves into his rich coming-of-age story, but his major focus stays on Tom’s slow coming to grips with his inner demons and easy acceptance of his past mistakes. Woodard’s storytelling is strong, and his prose is lively. Tom’s tender personal moments are as effective as the tale’s nitty-gritty of a small-town everyday life. Aficionados of literary fiction may approach Woodard’s work without hesitation. A stunning literary tale!
The Staircase of Fire
(Shakertown Adventure #3)
by Ben Woodard
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Miller-Martin Press
ISBN 9780997344899
PRICE $11.99 (USD)