If you were repeatedly abandoned, could you welcome back the offender?
If you were abused over and over and over again, could you find healing?
If you never knew genuine love, would you recognize it when it was right in front of you?
Forgiveness and trust are not easy to come by. And, of course, they are the themes of many novels, including this one. The discovery of authentic love is also a theme Lewis shares with many other works.
I met M.D. Meyer at the Write! Canada conference last June. Thanks to social networking, we have kept in touch. I was honoured that she sent me a copy of her newest book Lewis to read and review.
Meyer has a heart for the First Nations people. Without judgment, she explores real issues that could as easily be biographical as fictional. This story could take place in any First Nations community–in any community. And that’s one reason it is so poignant.
The novel strikes a chord with readers. It’s almost guaranteed that we can see ourselves–or someone we know–in its pages. I care about the characters from the first page. And if I care, I’m hooked. As I read Lewis, I was not merely an observer; I was right there with them. Trust me…there were times I felt my heart racing and I had to read further.
Lewis doesn’t candy-coat the issues of abuse and abandonment, but it does offer real hope. If these issues sound familiar, I encourage you to read the book. If you care about someone who is facing these issues, I encourage you to read the book. If you are just looking for a good, character-driven story to immerse yourself in for an afternoon…Yes, I encourage you to read Lewis.
I’m generally timid about reading troubling stories and I haven’t risked any of MD Meyer’s yet for that reason. Call me chicken.
But I’ve enjoyed meeting the author at Write! Canada, and from classes there I know she writes very well.
I’ve appreciated her stories in the Hot Apple Cider and A Second Cup of Hot Apple Cider anthologies. Definitely not warm fuzzies–heartbreakingly real. But not gratuitous or overdone. Like you said, Stephanie, stories that could be biographies instead of fiction. And stories that come from a caring heart.
Thanks for an informative review!
The book scheduled for release in October is going to be amazing.
I know MD Meyer mainly through TWG (The Word Guild) Blog for which I am the current coordinator. She writes regularly once a month for this blog and I always enjoy reading her posts. I have not read any of her books as yet but the reviews I have read tell me how much MD cares for the native peoples, especially for the children. Thank you for speaking for their needs.
The book that Dorene has coming out in October is going to be another great read.