Synopsis:
A richly textured coming-of-age story about fathers and sons, home and family, recalling classics by Thomas Wolfe and William Styron, by a powerful new voice in fiction
Just before Henry Aster’s birth, his father—outsized literary ambition and pregnant wife in tow—reluctantly returns to the small Appalachian town in which he was raised and installs his young family in an immense house of iron and glass perched high on the side of a mountain. There, Henry grows up under the writing desk of this fiercely brilliant man. But when tragedy tips his father toward a fearsome unraveling, what was once a young son’s reverence is poisoned and Henry flees, not to return until years later when he, too, must go home again.
Mythic in its sweep and mesmeric in its prose, The Barrowfields is a breathtaking debut about the darker side of devotion, the limits of forgiveness, and the reparative power of shared pasts.
Rating: 4-stars
Review:
The Barrowfields by Phillip Lewis takes readers on a journey of discovering truths and facing our demons. A family that was once happy soon turned into anything but happy. A son couldn’t wait to be free from his life at home. Taking off, her thought he could escape what haunts him. But he soon learns that no matter how far he goes, it would never leave him. This caused him to return home. Love, conflict, and family are three important themes corporates into this novel. I found it heartbreaking and dark.
The Barrowfields is a tragedy that won’t be forgotten far after it’s been read. It felt like Phillip Lewis took me straight into the minds and hearts of both the father and son featured inside this tale. Quite mesmerizing. Broken and sad are the emotions caused by every page. The story begins well…then slows down some. Luckily, it moved back up to speed. Henry is a character readers everywhere can easily relate to and understand. Phillip Lewis masterfully crafted a heartfelt novel whose pages tore at my heart. Overall, I recommend this coming of age tale to all.
Urban Book Reviews 