Josh finds himself homeless at eighteen, but he has a plan. He’ll head north on the bus to New England and spend October there for his mother’s sake. She always talked about going to see the fall leaves someday. And when the leaves are done and the harsh winter comes, Josh plans to find a place to curl up and let go. It will be a relief to finally stop fighting.
Mark spent his life trying to live up to the tough swagger of his older brothers until he pushed himself so far against his nature that he cracked. Now a former Marine, he rents a little cabin in the White Mountains of New Hampshire where he can lick his wounds and figure out what to do with the rest of his life. One thing was clear: Mark was nobody’s hero.
Fate intervenes when Josh sets up camp under a covered bridge near Mark’s cabin. Mark recognizes the dead look in the young stranger’s eyes, and he feels compelled to do something about it. When Mark offers Josh a job, he never expects that he’ll be the one to fall.
The snow is coming soon. Can Mark convince Josh that the two of them can build a life together before the flurries begin?
I wasn’t too sure about this book when I requested it. I really like this author’s work but I don’t generally read stories about MC’s younger than college age. I’m glad I ended up trying it though because I really enjoyed this.
The blurb does a good job explaining the gist of the plot and I think it’s important to note that Josh has suicidal ideation at various places in the book in case that is an issue for you.
I found the story to be melancholy at first but it quickly gives way to hopefulness. Both of the MC’s find fresh starts with each other and they blossom with each other’s support.
I thought the writing was very good and I found myself drawn in from the very first page. I loved both of the main characters as well as the side characters.
This story was narrated by Michael Stellman who was a new narrator for me. I thought he did an excellent job and his narration really added to the emotion of the story. He is definitely on my radar now and I will be looking for his work to listen to again.
Overall I felt this was a very good audiobook. Both the plot of the story and the narration were excellent.
Cover art: Tiferet Designs. Gorgeous new cover just pulls your eye to it and the lone figure speaks to the story. Wonderful job.
Audiobook, 8 pages
Published April 17th 2019 by Pinkerton Road LLC (first published November 9th 2016)
Original Title Falling Down
ASINB 07QMTYK5Z
setting New Hampshire (United States)
At over 50, I am ruled by my terriers, my gardens, and my projects. A knack for grubbing about in the woods, making mud pies, and tending to the injured worms, bugs, and occasional bird and turtle growing up eventually led me to working for the Parks.
I was a park Naturalist for over 20 years, and observing Nature and her cycles still occupy my hours. From the arrival of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds in the Spring to the first call of the Snow Geese heading south in the Fall, I am entranced by the seasons. For more about me see my bio on my blog.
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Josh finds himself homeless at eighteen, but he has a plan. He’ll head north on the bus to New England and spend October there for his mother’s sake. She always talked about going to see the fall leaves someday. And when the leaves are done and the harsh winter comes, Josh plans to find a place to curl up and let go. It will be a relief to finally stop fighting.
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 