Synopsis
At 17, all Josh Bell is sure of is his love of surfingeverything else is up for grabs. But when Josh meets a reclusive widower named William Davis, he gets some unexpected help on how to pull his life together. As their relationship develops, Josh gives Davis a renewed sense of fulfillment and purpose and Davis gives Josh a sense of the endless possibilities of his future.
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About the Author
" BEN ERICKSON lives in Alabama with his wife and two sons. He is an award-winning furniture maker who has written numerous articles for woodworking magazines and contributed to books on the subject. This is his first work of fiction."
From Publishers Weekly
Erickson's treacly debut novel aims to follow Waller and Sparks in the realm of the sentimental bestseller, but this story of a young man and an older mentor seems clearly derivative of Tuesdays with Morrie. Josh Bell, 17, lives in Mobile Bay, Ala., with his divorced mother, who supplements the meager salary from her job at a discount store by cooking for Meals-On-Wheels. Josh helps her by delivering the food to the sick or elderly, and one evening the client is octogenarian William Davis, who is crippled from arthritis. Soon Davis hires Josh to record the lifetime of thoughtful stories he has accumulated in his memory. The didactic tales that Davis relates, each usually ending with a blunt, reductive moral lesson, begin to inspire Josh in his own life. Josh is intrigued by such truisms as "Life is a mystery" or "Never confuse knowledge with wisdom," but when Davis insists that Josh follow his dream of being a writer, Josh is afraid to confront his ambitions. Nevertheless, their friendship grows, especially as Josh is estranged from his father and Davis is alienated from his own son. Davis becomes an obvious father figure, instilling in his young prot?g? a healthy respect for the past and for literature. Na?ve Josh is unconvincing as a troubled, contemporary teen, seeming more like a responsible, even-tempered 10-year-old. Still, Erickson's unfaltering message of redemption likely will move those who take Davis and his spunky, "love-life" attitude to heart. (May) FYI: Erickson originally wrote this story as a high school graduation gift for his son.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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A Parting Gift
Seller: Manyhills Books, Traralgon, VIC, Australia
Seller rating 4 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: Very Good. Paperback. 323 pages. *** PUBLISHING DETAILS: Harper Collins, 2000. *** CONDITION: This book is in very good condition. More specifically: Covers have no creasing. Spine has moderate reading creases. . Edges of pages are slightly foxed. Pages are lightly tanned. *** ABOUT THIS BOOK: At seventeen, all Josh Bell is sure of is his love of surfing and his ability to catch the next wave. Everything else is up for grabs: he can't understand why his father hasn't seen him for over a year, and about to graduate from high school, he has nothing lined up - until he gets help from an unexpected direction. *** Quantity Available: 1. Category: Fiction; General; ISBN: 0732266076. ISBN/EAN: 9780732266073. Inventory No: 20100480. Seller Inventory # 20100480
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