Now, 25 years later, his mother pulls these soaring tales from her son, exposing, for the first time, the source of a deep unhappiness. While these memories contain the wounds of an unresolved past, they also possess the power to heal his painful present.
Thoughtfully crafted and boldly told, Tyler’s journey takes the reader on a wild South American adventure, while illuminating a mother’s unyielding power to heal her child.
~My Impressions~
This book was not what I expected, but in a good way. The book draws on your emotions to move the story forward,as opposed to alot of actions that you might expect. I really enjoyed getting to take a glimpse into the different cultures that are presented in this book and watch how the kids handle new situations and grow from experiences. Great character development with lots of intrigue throughout. I kept wanting to keep reading to find out all the secretes that were being kept and to see if I was right on what they were. The book was not really suspenseful, but it kept you engaged and curious all the way through. I can easily recommend this book for anyone looking for a great short read.
Excerpt from teh Book:
The boat came to a stop at a shallow riverbank. We were
greeted by an olive-skinned man in his forties with shoulder-length hair and an
unruly beard. He resembled a castaway, but with more muscle.
“Welcome to the Amazon,” he said, helping the ladies off the
boat. “My name is Xavier. I will be your guide for the next two days. Please
take only what you need for one night and leave the rest with the boatsman. He
will take your things to camp by boat.”
“From here we will hike two hours to camp. There you can
relax in the hammock, go swimming, and enjoy a nice dinner in the evening.”
Xavier was very welcoming with his choppy English. We’d learn later that he was
born in Bolivia and educated in Germany. His love for the study of biology
would take him to exotic places all around the world. He was a charismatic free
spirit.
“First thing first,” Xavier said. “Everyone needs to put on
these boots.” He pointed to a line of knee-high rubber boots. “They are not the
most ideal for hiking, but it’s been very wet, so the ground is soft. Do not be
surprised if you sink one half . . . maybe one meter into the earth.” We were
looking around in disbelief. “If this happens, do not panic. Just relax. Don’t
wiggle. Signal for my attention. I will come and help you free.”
“Help us free?” I whispered to Peter.
“Yes, help you free.” Xavier’s ears were keen. “It is
sometimes very difficult to free yourself from this earth, so use caution. Now
we go.” He began walking up the bank and suddenly stopped.
“Also, you will see me eat things. Do not eat things unless
I give them. If you do, you may die. I’m very sorry for this but it is your own
fault. Don’t eat anything unless I give you,” he repeated. “I won’t give you
everything I eat. Why? Because not all are good. Eating plant is not about good
plant and bad plant. It is about good plant at good time. Not good plant at bad
time. And there is never good time to eat bad plant. So no eating unless I give
it. Okay? Now we go.” We all nodded and started following him up the hill. Once
again he suddenly stopped.
“Also, do not touch things. Sometimes, plants have defenses
that will make you very sick, or will make you die. Sometimes plants have
insects on them that will sting or bite you. This can also make you very sick
or die. Sometimes plant isn’t plant but insect. These are very cool and most
won’t sting or bite you. If you see this, do not touch but alert me so that I
can show you. Okay?” I was relieved that at least one thing wasn’t going to
kill me.
“It’s like we’re marching into certain death,” Peter said as
we laughed.
“Also,” Xavier said, “one last thing, and then we go.
Sometimes, plants or bug touch you. This happens. Plants grow over trail, bugs
fly through air and hit you. This will happen. Mostly you’ll be okay. Maybe,
once in a while, this makes you sick or kills you. It’s very sad and I’m sorry.
This is not your fault.” He paused for a second. “Oh, the animals. I almost
forgot the animals! The jungle is full of many animals. Do not touch the
animals. Some are very dangerous. Not as dangerous as the plants and bugs, but
there is still danger. Watch where you step. The snakes and rodents will
sometimes use our trail. The snakes are dangerous. The rodents are unpleasant.
Either way, try not to step on them. Sometimes a snake will drop from the tree.
This is bad. But not very often. If you feel pee, don’t look up. Monkey pee
stings the eyes. Very bad. Okay, now we go.”
Finally Xavier’s disclaimer was over and we were off on our
certain-death march. Whatever fear of the forest he’d put into our hearts
vanished under the beauty of the canopy. The sounds of life we’d been hearing
beneath the rumble of the bus amplified tenfold. The jungle was electrifying.
Sunlight filtered down to the ground in ever-changing locations, spotlighting
endless shades of green.
~About the Author~
Randy Anderson:
~Disclaimer~
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