Aida Brassington
Between Seasons
Review brought to you by OBS staff member Autumn
Synopsis:
There are things Patrick Boyle will never forget: the sound of his own neck breaking at the moment of his death in the fall of 1970, the sweet taste of his mother’s chocolate cake, and the awful day his parents abandoned him in his childhood house-turned prison.
Nineteen-year-old Patrick wonders for decades if God has forgotten all about him or if he’s being punished for some terrible crime or sin over a lovely forty years trapped in an empty home. But when Sara Oswald, a strange woman with a mysterious past, buys his house, old feelings reawaken, and a new optimism convinces him that she’s the answer to his prayers.
Things are never simple, though, especially when she begins channeling the memories of his life and death in her writing. (Goodreads)
Review:
It’s rare that you find a book like this. One that makes you laugh, cry and even ask the question “Is there life after death?” In it’s heart, Between Seasons is a ghost story. In it’s soul, it is so much more.
Patrick Boyle dies tragically when he’s nineteen and just about to be drafted into the Vietnam War. He watches as decades pass and wonders why he is not able to move on and his only company is the few possessions left from his life that he can almost actually touch.
He is not your stereotypical ghost. He is funny, introspective and even sweet. His expressions reflect the 1970’s era and this only adds to the overall charm of the story.
Sara herself is a bit broken. She buys Patrick’s house and soon discovers that her new writings are strangely similar to his very real life memories. She feels his presence in the house and soon is able to see him. The relationship that develops between them is quite innocent by modern standards but feels feverish just the same. The obvious differences between them lead to questions about love, life, death and possible rebirth.
I found myself laughing and crying at the same time while reading Between Seasons. The dialog is so smart and real that you feel their loneliness, their desperation and their hope. This book is such a breath of fresh air. No one should miss out.
