Jonathan Hull
Author of Losing Julia
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Works by Jonathan Hull
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First, I should probably go ahead and thank Allison for this one. She threw this into a Christmas box she sent me as a last minute whim. To be honest, I probably never would have picked it up on my own. But that would have been a shame, because this story was fantastic.
So far this year is starting out wonderfully. This is my 4th 5-star read this year alone. When I think of that ratio, I feel like I've been super generous already this year. But I think that everything has been deserving of show more the rating I've given, so I'm not going to change anything. :)
This book is absolutely deserving of a 5-star rating. I would NEVER have guessed that this is a first novel. Sometimes a first novel will take you by surprise, just by being far better than any first novel should be, and better by far than some 5th or 10th or 25th novels. This is one of those. I was feeling kind of blah about the book that I was reading, and this happened to be within arms reach, so I picked it up.
When I say that this book grabbed me from the very first page, I'm not exaggerating. Just the descriptions and the words and the feelings that flow off the page were enough to hook me. I wrote down my first quote at page 13, and then kept jotting them down throughout the book. There are so, so many insightful and beautiful quotes in this book. So many vivid descriptions and heart-tugging and honest emotions. This book is an absolute gem. And I do NOT say that often.
This is Patrick Delaney's story. His life story, in a way, but really his life centered around small islands of understanding and happiness that he found in two people that he loved and lost. We see Patrick through his eyes, and his insights and memories and at different stages of his life. We see how he's changed with each stage, even though he doesn't tell us, "I was different back then..." or anything, I could just see.
We see him as a scared, naive 20 year old heading off to war and meeting the first person who changed his life. We see him as a 30 year old, more than a little jaded, now visiting the war memorial and meeting the 2nd person who changed his life. Then finally we see him as an old man, looking back over his life and pondering his impending death.
Each of Patrick's "lives" was represented on the page with truth and grace and clarity that I think would be hard for a different writer to carry off, let alone to do so by intertwining them in and amongst each other without losing his (the writer's) way, or losing the reader. The three stories blended together perfectly, and felt so intimate that toward the end, I felt as if I was losing a little bit of myself in Patrick's loss.
I am infinitely impressed that Hull was able to write an 83 year old man pondering life and old age and death as convincingly as he did. One would think that he was writing about his own experience. It was beautiful and staggeringly sad at the same time. But then, 83 year old Patrick is witty and funny too. Here's the quote I mentioned writing down from page 13:
Or this one, which I loved because it describes the book lover so perfectly:
This is a book that deals with war head on. It pulls no punches, and isn't shy about showing how awful and horrible war is. It's not glamorous. It's not romantic or virtuous or glorious. It's terrible. All of them. Patrick talks about what it is to be a part of something so terrible, and what it is to survive it.
This book touched me on so many different levels. It was beautifully written, heart-breaking and heart-warming at the same time, and shows us that loss is maybe subjective. If we love someone enough, they are always with us, even when they are not. show less
So far this year is starting out wonderfully. This is my 4th 5-star read this year alone. When I think of that ratio, I feel like I've been super generous already this year. But I think that everything has been deserving of show more the rating I've given, so I'm not going to change anything. :)
This book is absolutely deserving of a 5-star rating. I would NEVER have guessed that this is a first novel. Sometimes a first novel will take you by surprise, just by being far better than any first novel should be, and better by far than some 5th or 10th or 25th novels. This is one of those. I was feeling kind of blah about the book that I was reading, and this happened to be within arms reach, so I picked it up.
When I say that this book grabbed me from the very first page, I'm not exaggerating. Just the descriptions and the words and the feelings that flow off the page were enough to hook me. I wrote down my first quote at page 13, and then kept jotting them down throughout the book. There are so, so many insightful and beautiful quotes in this book. So many vivid descriptions and heart-tugging and honest emotions. This book is an absolute gem. And I do NOT say that often.
This is Patrick Delaney's story. His life story, in a way, but really his life centered around small islands of understanding and happiness that he found in two people that he loved and lost. We see Patrick through his eyes, and his insights and memories and at different stages of his life. We see how he's changed with each stage, even though he doesn't tell us, "I was different back then..." or anything, I could just see.
We see him as a scared, naive 20 year old heading off to war and meeting the first person who changed his life. We see him as a 30 year old, more than a little jaded, now visiting the war memorial and meeting the 2nd person who changed his life. Then finally we see him as an old man, looking back over his life and pondering his impending death.
Each of Patrick's "lives" was represented on the page with truth and grace and clarity that I think would be hard for a different writer to carry off, let alone to do so by intertwining them in and amongst each other without losing his (the writer's) way, or losing the reader. The three stories blended together perfectly, and felt so intimate that toward the end, I felt as if I was losing a little bit of myself in Patrick's loss.
I am infinitely impressed that Hull was able to write an 83 year old man pondering life and old age and death as convincingly as he did. One would think that he was writing about his own experience. It was beautiful and staggeringly sad at the same time. But then, 83 year old Patrick is witty and funny too. Here's the quote I mentioned writing down from page 13:
"I thought dying old would be easier than dying young. Now I see how that very expectation makes it so much worse. Die young and fists clench with rage; die old and shoulders merely shrug. If you are young and dying, you are embraced with love and sympathy; charities exist solely to accommodate your final wishes. If you are old and dying, well you're right on course, aren't you? Take too long about it and the looks begin; subdued impatience at first, then glares as though you've been lingering at a window table in a crowded upscale restaurant long after your coffee has gone cold, the table cleared of everything but stains and crumbs."
Or this one, which I loved because it describes the book lover so perfectly:
"Like most bookworms I read so as not to be alone, which often annoys those who are trying to make conversation with me."
This is a book that deals with war head on. It pulls no punches, and isn't shy about showing how awful and horrible war is. It's not glamorous. It's not romantic or virtuous or glorious. It's terrible. All of them. Patrick talks about what it is to be a part of something so terrible, and what it is to survive it.
This book touched me on so many different levels. It was beautifully written, heart-breaking and heart-warming at the same time, and shows us that loss is maybe subjective. If we love someone enough, they are always with us, even when they are not. show less
I was enjoying this book to begin with, especially the parts from the MC's standpoint as an old man. But then I ran into two big problems: one, the narrative tripped through time every few paragraphs and it became jarring and disjointed. Second, and the biggest problem of all, the MC was married to someone else during his affair with Julia. Some things I can put up with, but adultery is not one of them, even in a book.
Story revolves around Patrick Delaney moving back and forth between three periods of his life: WWI trench warfare in France in 1917, meeting Julia at a War Memorial in Reins in 1928, & at old folks home at age 81 in San Francisco.
I enjoyed the parts about the War and when he was with Julia. Old age seemed to make up over 50% with reminiscents, reflections, and philosophizing - often not interesting to me. Occasional thoughts on life were interesting, but overdone. Makes one wonder how a show more middle aged author could have so much "knowledge", empathy, and understanding of an 80 year old.
Would not strongly recommend the book, though overall I enjoyed it. Not a compelling read. show less
I enjoyed the parts about the War and when he was with Julia. Old age seemed to make up over 50% with reminiscents, reflections, and philosophizing - often not interesting to me. Occasional thoughts on life were interesting, but overdone. Makes one wonder how a show more middle aged author could have so much "knowledge", empathy, and understanding of an 80 year old.
Would not strongly recommend the book, though overall I enjoyed it. Not a compelling read. show less
When it happened, Ryan Brooks thought it was the hands of God pulling him from the burning wreckage of the Brooks family car. Later, he knew that he had been saved by a Wyoming rancher - the same man who had to watch his parents burn to death because he could not do the same for them.
Now, thirty years after that horrible 1960 accident, and despite an exchange of birthday and Christmas cards during most of those years, Ryan has still not met the man who saved his life. And it is now or never show more because his rescuer is terminally ill - and has, at most, a few more weeks to live. Both men fear the painful memories that their meeting might reawaken, but they know that if it is ever going to happen, it has to be soon. What neither of them could have anticipated is how greatly Ryan's visit will impact lives other than theirs.
Ryan, unsure how to handle the visit, and struggling to say everything he feels, is so welcomed into the O'Donnell home by Alessandra, Mike's wife, that he grows more confident by the hour. Too, it doesn't hurt that Mike's pretty daughter, Shannon, has come home to be with her father during his final days. But the longer Ryan stays in Wyoming, the more complicated things become.
The Devoted is a story filled with surprises, surprises that are revealed one-by-one until the reader's (and Ryan's) initial assumptions about the accident, Mike, Alessandra, and Shannon are largely proven wrong. The O'Donnells are a family with lots of secrets - secrets that they have kept even from each other for decades. Shannon's parents brought secrets into their marriage that go all the way back to World War II Italy where Alessandra had a passionate love affair with a German soldier who was part of the group that occupied her tiny village. Now might be the last chance to finally share those secrets with each other and Ryan. But the real question is whether any of them will emotionally survive the revelations.
Bottom Line: The Devoted is a good story and Jonathan Hull tells it well. Fans of historical fiction and readers who like romantic literary fiction will particularly enjoy this one. Too, World War II history buffs are sure to appreciate Hull’s version of life on the Italian home front for those Italians not pleased to be allied with Adolph Hitler.
Rated at: 3.5 show less
Now, thirty years after that horrible 1960 accident, and despite an exchange of birthday and Christmas cards during most of those years, Ryan has still not met the man who saved his life. And it is now or never show more because his rescuer is terminally ill - and has, at most, a few more weeks to live. Both men fear the painful memories that their meeting might reawaken, but they know that if it is ever going to happen, it has to be soon. What neither of them could have anticipated is how greatly Ryan's visit will impact lives other than theirs.
Ryan, unsure how to handle the visit, and struggling to say everything he feels, is so welcomed into the O'Donnell home by Alessandra, Mike's wife, that he grows more confident by the hour. Too, it doesn't hurt that Mike's pretty daughter, Shannon, has come home to be with her father during his final days. But the longer Ryan stays in Wyoming, the more complicated things become.
The Devoted is a story filled with surprises, surprises that are revealed one-by-one until the reader's (and Ryan's) initial assumptions about the accident, Mike, Alessandra, and Shannon are largely proven wrong. The O'Donnells are a family with lots of secrets - secrets that they have kept even from each other for decades. Shannon's parents brought secrets into their marriage that go all the way back to World War II Italy where Alessandra had a passionate love affair with a German soldier who was part of the group that occupied her tiny village. Now might be the last chance to finally share those secrets with each other and Ryan. But the real question is whether any of them will emotionally survive the revelations.
Bottom Line: The Devoted is a good story and Jonathan Hull tells it well. Fans of historical fiction and readers who like romantic literary fiction will particularly enjoy this one. Too, World War II history buffs are sure to appreciate Hull’s version of life on the Italian home front for those Italians not pleased to be allied with Adolph Hitler.
Rated at: 3.5 show less
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