I so enjoyed this book! The simplicity of the era and setting allowed me to get a little lost in a time devoid of cell phones, social media, constant television and round-the-clock media. The characters were endearing and refreshing, and I loved watching Pete and Dovey as they grew up and became adults - their innocence and humble upbringings honestly made me a little sad for our current generation and made me digress a bit into the downfalls of growing up in today's society.
My one "complaint" if you can call it that is that the blurb for this book is pretty deceiving. Maybe it was my mistaken assumption, but this is not a book about solving a missing person case. The search for Isaac is merely a blip in the storyline. This is all about a young boy who loses his father, then loses a close friend, and how that shapes his life as he grows from boy to young man to man. It's about young love and relationships. It's about respecting family and people and valuing community. It's about letting go of the past and embracing the future. There are some hard lessons about race and bias and the dividing lines that existed in the south, and how to navigate through those conflicts. But bottom line, it's a damn good book, and I'm grateful to have read it!
My one "complaint" if you can call it that is that the blurb for this book is pretty deceiving. Maybe it was my mistaken assumption, but this is not a book about solving a missing person case. The search for Isaac is merely a blip in the storyline. This is all about a young boy who loses his father, then loses a close friend, and how that shapes his life as he grows from boy to young man to man. It's about young love and relationships. It's about respecting family and people and valuing community. It's about letting go of the past and embracing the future. There are some hard lessons about race and bias and the dividing lines that existed in the south, and how to navigate through those conflicts. But bottom line, it's a damn good book, and I'm grateful to have read it!