Monday, November 19, 2012

Stopped By Time Book review

Stopped by Time

by Don Festge


A strapping but burned out Firefighter from Fort Lauderdale is on his way to meet a childhood friend in Pennsylvannia and decides to take the scenic route on a Greyhound Bus. A runaway 12 year old fragile looking, beautiful girl with fierce green eyes, asian features, naturally blond magnificent hair and fiery attitude takes the same bus from her hometwown of Fayettville on her way to... wherever the bus will take her, Philadelphia or New York, it doesn't matter as long as it is far away from her cruel father. Add to the mix an Irish-Cherokee Indian Reservation Sheriff, over 6' tall and 250 Lbs of Muscle, with a gentle soul, kind eyes and Fiery Red Celtic Hair to match his Native American Red Skin. He responded to a call from the Station about the bus not reaching its next stop on the Tennessee side of the mountain, so he went to investigate.

Three strange people, who couldn't be further from each other on all levels, bond in the strangest of circumstances. The first two get trapped in a Appalachian Mountain Tunnel after a Bus accident, the third is the "Rescue" who gets the call and goes to investigate only to get trapped in the mystical tunnel as well. They realize that chance had nothing to do with their encounter and fate required for them to face the challenges they each meet within that tunnel. This book will keep you on the very edge of your seat from the very first pages and keep you guessing all the way to the last page. It will make you smile with wonder, cry with sorrow for the characters and laugh with relief at the end. But most importantly, this book will inspire you. The life's lesson it teaches should be remembered by all. Life is too precious to let Regret hold you back. 

I have been putting off reading this book for the past couple of years, because I had already made prior commitment to other reading materials about which I write regularly either professionally or for just for pleasure. I like to keep things in order and really just picked up Stopped By Time on Friday evening. I had planned to read as much as time allowed over the weekend and read it for an hour each day at least hoping to finish it by next weekend. I was enthralled by the plot from the very first chapter. I could not put it down. I was so captivating by the drama of each of the three main characters, that I read the entire weekend, putting it down only when I absolutely had to. I finished it late last night (Sunday). 

I am usually pretty good at guessing what comes next when I watch a movie or read a book. I've read so much in my 47 years that I can honestly say that I pick up very easily on the various hints , the authors drop either consciously  or  not, and deduce very often what the next scene will be or the general plot of the entire script. So I was taken aback at each turn of event. I guess wrong every single time. The plot was so unpredictable and yet so fluid that I was pleasantly surprised.

My highest recommendations for this book. Some mildly crude language would make me want to keep it from anyone below 12 years old, but beyond that age, it is a book everyone, from teenagers to Goldenagers should read. Lots of drama, but a great inspiration and heartwarming conclusion.

NOTA BENE:
 International Book Review as interviewed Stopped by Time author, Don Festge. Read it HERE. Ask Don your own questions on that post. Don will respond as his very busy Schedule permits.

1 comment: