Don Reid (2)Besprekingen

56451

Interesting book--actually a backstory and a current story. Written by one of the singers from the country group The Statler Brothers. I liked the whole behind the scenes of this small town there lie a lot of secrets concept. It was a bit of a downer as novels go though.

This is mainly a soap opera set in the late 1950's. The story was interesting, but it really didn't have a lot to do with Christmas other than being set at that time of year.

I liked this book a lot. The characters are very believable.m the details of small town life in the 50's seem very accurate. Overall this was a very enjoyable, short Christmas read.

Harlan has been shot, supposedly by a burglar.
Buddy’s investigating the shooting. He’s been Harlan’s friend since they were kids. And he knows Harlan isn’t telling the whole story.
We’re introduced to several characters who might potentially be the shooter:
Fritz – the enigma. No one knows his last name, or where he’s from, or why he’s so fiercely loyal to Harlan’s father
Nicoli – the ne’er do well. No one knows how he affords his posh house or why he carries a gun at all times.
Nick – the bookie. Most people in town owe him money.
The mystery of Who Shot Harlan? is an involving arc. But the book isn’t really a mystery. It’s really about three boys growing up to be decent men.
In their youth, Harlan, Buddy and Cal were shysters, opportunists who were always running a scam.
Harlan takes over the family business when his father has a stroke, even though it means giving up his dream of going to college.
Buddy becomes a good cop who puts justice ahead of his personal interests.
Cal goes from juvenile delinquent to Reverend.
The moralizing isn’t heavy-handed, but you end up with a pretty clear idea of what the author thinks a man should be: loyal, responsible and unselfish.
Amen to that, I say. Also, it’s well-written.

This was a sweet Christmas book that I really enjoyed. Set in a smallish town where you may know who some people are but you’ve never been close to them. As Christmas comes along these families lives become intertwined and will never be the same again.

I was afraid at first when it started out with a pastor I thought uhoh it’s going to be preachy but it wasn’t at all. This was a story of failures and forgiveness and what family and love mean to you as a person. This book was full of flawed characters all trying their hardest to make it in the world,and to do their best in overcoming everything life throws at them.

This was a look into the lives of a diverse group of people who are intertwined in ways none of them ever expected. It was like being a fly on the wall and an intimate look into the real lives of people, not just the outside they show other people. I thought all the characters were believable and seemed like people you would know in your own hometown.

This was just an all around good story and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good Christmas read!

4 Stars

The characters in this book are very believable,, they are not over-dramatic and they don't stumble over each other as can happen in a book with several characters. The connections are clear leaving the reader to enjoy the book and not constantly look back to remember who is who.

This is a 'small' town story with some very big characters. Mt Jefferson is actually a big city but you can feel the small townness of it as you read. It is 1958 and a 15 year old girl is caught shoplifting in the five and dime managed by Milton. He came to Mt. Jefferson and liked it so much he refused other promotions so he could stay here. Milton is married to Coleen who's sister, Doris, is married to Doctor Campbell Sterrett. Their son, Louis, is secretly dating Shirley Ann, whos is the daughter of Lt. Buddy Briggs, of the Mt. Jefferson police department. His wife, Amanda, is best friends with Dove Franklin, wife of Rev. Paul Franklin of the local Methodist Church...who's 15 year old daughter has just been caught shoplifting at the local five and dime.

Meanwhile, Walter, the father of Doris and Colleen is spending the days before Christmas in the hospital. The same hospital where he spent so much time in 1904, waiting for a bit of news and permission to see the stage actress who was accidently shot after a show. Walter, smitten with the woman, was 17 and witnessed the shooting. Now, so near the room where she lay so many years ago, Walter remembers the days leading up to the shooting and the days afterward.

It all flows together smoothly and makes a great read. I was a little hesitant to read this book, wondering if a country singer could actually write a book that could hold my interest but I had no need to worry. I couldn't put the book down and finished it in one day. I would love it if there is a sequel.

Better than five stars, this is a six star novel. Loved it!

A great book by Don Reid, this was his first book and it comes back around every year around Christmas. It is set in 1958 right at Christmas time and tells a story about different characters. I was a young teen about that time and knew all about a lot of the things that is talked about in this book just not the people. The story takes place in Mt. Jefferson, Va and it switches back and forth between the characters and lets each one talk about their life. There was Walter, he was a sick man and he kept remembering back when he was a young lad and worked in the Crown theater, and about some live actors before the movies came. He was 16 at the time and he really fell for the actress Adrienne. He was the most remarkable character to me. Then there was the police chief, alone with his wife and their pregnant 16 year old daughter and how they handled the teen pregnancy back in the 1950's.

The pastor had a wife that was more interested in another man than her own family, so the teen daughter decided she would steal from the mercantile. Two of the wives were sisters and the daughters of Walter, one was married to the doctor and the other was married to Mercantile manager.

As I would think like any small town there were tongues wagging telling this and that, and no always the truth. I don't know this for a fact if that is the way of small towns as I have never lived in town always in the country.

This book is really a good book and Don did a fine job. Almost as good as his singing you heard I said ALMOST, I loved to hear the Statler Brothers and loved way back when they first got their start. My children grew up listening to the old 33 1/3 lps and me singing alone as I worked in the house.

This book was sent to me by Jeane at wynnwynn media free for me to post my honest review.

Don Reid is well known as one of the founding members of The Statler Brothers, This was my very favorite of the singing groups and I still love to hear their music but that is enough about his music and now to his book. This is the first one that I have read and believe me when I say I could not put it down, I read the complete book in one sitting four and one-half hours, I just had to see what was on the next page.

The novel is about a man and his wife J. D. and Karlie Wickman that owned two restaurants and they were having trouble with one of their employees as they had money missing. Then J. D,'s mother was in an assisted living home, they had a daughter at college and she was home sick, so they were going through a lot. One night J.D. decided to get in his old car and just drive, this always helped him with the top down and no where really to go, just ride and enjoy the night air. He was on this road that he had not been on before and he came upon a one lane bridge, an old bridge, he looked to be sure no other car was coming they he just went across real slow and looked at the bridge and the water. When he got on the other side his old car started to run hot, he had to turn it off, he looked at his cell phone and had no bars but so what he could not tell anyone where he was. He then saw a house up an old dirt lane and he walked up there, he found a man and was asked in. When he got inside a woman asked who was there, she was really sick and they had a fourteen year old daughter that was doing the cooking. The man helped him carry water back to his car so he made it back home. He was telling his wife about the family that he believed were really poor and the next day they both went and bought some groceries to carry to them. When they got back to the place he knew was where he was the night before, there was no one lane bridge but a cement two lane one, and there was a store at the spot where the house was. This just made no sense to J. D. and Karlie knew he was in a lot of stress so she wanted him to go to see the doctor, but he would not.

Well I could go on and one but that would leave no reason for you too buy the book, so I will stop here, but this went on for a while, things were finally settled but it took a while and a lot of trouble. You must read this, it really is a touching and memorial novel. It just kept me turning page after page, so now I know Don can write as well as he can sing.



This book was sent to me by the author and Jeane at Wynnwynnmedia for my honest review.

This was a sweet book about a small town in Virginia and how the characters lived are interwined as the events unfolded. The story takes place around Christmas time in 1958. It is written by Don Reid, a member of the Statler Brothers who wrote many of their songs. To give you a small peek inside the book without giving away too much of the story: The minister's daughter is caught shoplifting and the minister's wife, who feels her husband is too focused on his congregation to pay attention to her is having a fling.