by Mel Mathews
Not long ago I had the opportunity to meet with John and Renee Atkinson at their home in Gwynn's Island. The Atkinsons were marvelous hosts. Amongst many other dishes, Renee's coconut cake is exquisite! Her secret recipe—love, for life, for all of humanity.
Not long ago I had the opportunity to meet with John and Renee Atkinson at their home in Gwynn's Island. The Atkinsons were marvelous hosts. Amongst many other dishes, Renee's coconut cake is exquisite! Her secret recipe—love, for life, for all of humanity.
John Atkinson is a most gifted writer and I encourage one and all to read his books. With his masterful storytelling ability Atkinson brings us the murder mystery thriller par excellence in his most recent publication Dark Shadows Red Bayou. Here’s a taste:
John’s first language is metaphor and alliteration. Painting with words is what he does best, and he proves it time and time again. In Timekeeper Atkinson delivers a moving story of a young man’s difficult journey to overcome illiteracy and the mean-spirited abuse of one’s own dysfunctional family.
Within the first few pages, Timekeeper had weaved its essence around my heart and refused to let me go. Written in the same spirit as Sue Monk Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees, Timekeeper is a magnificent tale of a young boy who can't read, or at least he hasn't found the means to do so up to this point in his life. Misunderstood by his teachers and elders, and physically beaten into the ground by his father, Johnnyboy runs away from home at the age of fourteen and sets off into the unknown to find himself. What he couldn't find in his own father, the universe provides for him in a multitude of miraculous ways. In spite of all his suffering and adversities, Johnnyboy's spirit remains in tact . . . better yet, like a boxer taking a relentless barrage of punches, he spits his beating into the ringside pail and comes out dancing like never before into the next rounds/chapters of this magnificent tale of redemption.
In Timekeeper as well as in Dark Shadows Red Bayou Atkinson’s diverse imagination and talent shines through. Yet, had his name not been on the cover of these two books, I’d have never guessed them to be the work of the same author. Atkinson has been blessed with the gift that many writers long for—the ability to fall into the life and voice of a multitude of characters. You don’t just read words; you taste, you feel, you become a part of his stories. Undoubtedly, Atkinson is a master at his trade who consistently delivers highly entertaining, cutting edge 21st century fiction, that someday will join the eternal ranks of the timeless classic tales.
Sugar Roll Davis pays no mind to sweat running down his neck. He’s tuned out the heat and high humidity of the bayou. He wears a buckskin jacket with hood to hide a face city folks would fear. His tiny outboard motor hums as it labors through the bog. It’s a familiar sound, but he’s listening to a voice in his head.
“I want you to cleanse your mother’s sins, Sugar. You hear?”
“Yes, Lord, I hear.”
Life is simple in the swamp—Kill or be killed. What isn’t after its next meal is trying not to become one. Sugar recalls the last sinner as though the hand of God had served her to him. She tried to escape, but Sugar was faster than a bug’s life on black water.
John’s first language is metaphor and alliteration. Painting with words is what he does best, and he proves it time and time again. In Timekeeper Atkinson delivers a moving story of a young man’s difficult journey to overcome illiteracy and the mean-spirited abuse of one’s own dysfunctional family.
Within the first few pages, Timekeeper had weaved its essence around my heart and refused to let me go. Written in the same spirit as Sue Monk Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees, Timekeeper is a magnificent tale of a young boy who can't read, or at least he hasn't found the means to do so up to this point in his life. Misunderstood by his teachers and elders, and physically beaten into the ground by his father, Johnnyboy runs away from home at the age of fourteen and sets off into the unknown to find himself. What he couldn't find in his own father, the universe provides for him in a multitude of miraculous ways. In spite of all his suffering and adversities, Johnnyboy's spirit remains in tact . . . better yet, like a boxer taking a relentless barrage of punches, he spits his beating into the ringside pail and comes out dancing like never before into the next rounds/chapters of this magnificent tale of redemption.In Timekeeper as well as in Dark Shadows Red Bayou Atkinson’s diverse imagination and talent shines through. Yet, had his name not been on the cover of these two books, I’d have never guessed them to be the work of the same author. Atkinson has been blessed with the gift that many writers long for—the ability to fall into the life and voice of a multitude of characters. You don’t just read words; you taste, you feel, you become a part of his stories. Undoubtedly, Atkinson is a master at his trade who consistently delivers highly entertaining, cutting edge 21st century fiction, that someday will join the eternal ranks of the timeless classic tales.
Articles and book reviews by Mel Mathews have appeared in many syndicated publications. He is the author of several novels, including the Malcolm Clay Trilogy (Fisher King Press). Learn more about the reviewer at: www.melmathews.com or www.malcolmclay.com
© 2009 Mel Mathews
Permission to reprint is granted.
© 2009 Mel Mathews
Permission to reprint is granted.
Malcolm Clay and the Timekeeper putting their heads together—Watch out World!Mel Mathews(left) and John Atkinson(right).
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