J.P. White (1)

Every Boat Turns South is an extended poem, and in this case that's not a good thing. Finishing this book was seriously difficult for me, mostly because of the writer's style. I was reminded of the The New Yorker's feature, 'Block That Metaphor' (or simile). On just the first three pages, we see the following awkward constructions.

1) 'A low grade fever wanders my body like a torched and rolling penny.' 2) 'The wind off the Atlantic tells me I smell worse than day-old fish bait.' 3) 'At fifty-five, he's thin and strong as the edge-nailed cedar he used to build his boats.' 4) '...it's as if I've returned to a home fled during the last hurricane that never came, but the owners have not yet straggled back.'

The third paragraph of the first chapter reads like this: 'I park my trash bags and stare at their front door. My wrist bones search for any handhold. My body trembles from the taut indecision of what to do next. I lean forward and touch my forehead to the door thinking the termite wood will tell me what to do. It doesn't.'

I repeat these excerpts not to mock White, but because it's the only way to convey the writing style. Although the story is good enough, my verdict is that Mr. White should go back to working on his poetry. Sorry.… (meer)

In Every Boat Turns South a wayward son returns home to make a last-ditch connection with a dying father, as Matt Younger struggles to tell his pathetic, lonely story and have it make some sense. Hale Younger, two years older than Matt, was destined for the Olympics with his athletic ability and The Naval Academy, with his over-the-top academic skills. Years have past since Matt's brother, Hale, the fair-haired golden boy, died while with Matt on a boat...a boat that was used in connection with a drug-smuggling operation. Only Matt knew of Hale's dark side, or so he thought. Matt believes that everyone thinks he let Hale die out in the deep, inky ocean. After the tragedy, Matt's life spins out of control and takes a turn for the worst while attempting to deliver a boat to St. Thomas. He, too, is caught up in the drug trade. While on this watery journey, he meets many friends and foes, loses years of life to incarceration, and sinks deeper into despair. When he finally returns home, his only wish is to tell his terminally ill father the unvarnished truth, the whole tragic story and make amends. In spite of all his troubles, he "gives thanks for all unspeakable sorrows of his life"...the death of a brother, a father, and a son.

Every Boat Turns South is part puzzle and part family dynamics, mixed with the demons that follow one young man through his mentally-torturous journey. Even though much of the story revolves around sailing lingo that a non-boating enthusiast would know nothing about, the human side to the story touches the soul and makes a long-lasting connection.

Thanks to Librarything and The Permanent Press for this ARC.… (meer)