Review: `Maybe I'm different because I know what I want.'
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 27, 2014
New York born Philadelphia author Peter Silverman enters the literary field with honesty: his works he refers to as fan fiction (and for those unfamiliar with this new term, Fanfiction is when someone takes either the story or characters (or both) of a certain piece of work, whether it be a novel, TV show, movie, etc, and create their own story based on it.) and to be even more specific he names his fan fiction source as the Harry Potter books. Does this mean he plagiarizes Harry Potter ideas? Not at all - it only means that the involvement with his audience is similar to the manner in which the Potter characters are developed, and JK Rowling would be honored at the homage received. Silverman attended Reed College, Indiana University, Drexel University, and Spring Garden College and his career has included disparate as librarian, archivist, factory manager, and computer programmer. Add to that that he has performed with semi-professional dance companies, and helped found a local chapter of Families With Children from China. He has been committed to writing as a career since 2006, HANCOCK HILL being his second major novel.Peter Silverman sets his coming of age novel in mid-20th century, a time when radical changes were altering the course of families and individuals. A sledding part is the destination for high school senior Alex Dunhaigen who is dating Kay Cosgrove and Alex has hopes of a sensual liaison and is prepared for such with paraphernalia gathered by his friend Zach. And the theme of the book begins to take shape. Following the sledding party Kay and her mother abruptly leave town, apparently due to Alex and Kay's indiscretion that angered Kay's violent stepfather. Alex accepts blame for Kay's disappearance but initiates a search for her, aided and abetted by Zach (Zach, a Jewish refugee by the way, is still recovering memories of the Jewish victims of the abuses of WWII). After graduation and the entry into Drexel University the fantasy enters with a technological invention Alex and Zach share, an idea that could transform the world, but the father of a woman Alex is pursuing attempts to destroy their dream. Only in Hancock Hill can the themes be resolved.Silverman manages to paint the pages of this book with all of the transitional elements of his elected moment in history - from the popular music of the times, the sexual awakening in a new era of freedom, to the language and references to JD Salinger, to the new challenges of the growing conflict in Vietnam and the accompanying threat of a military draft - it is all here, played with such natural finesse that this is more than just an intriguing storied imbued with fantasy: this is a moment of time travel to a time too many of us have forgotten. Grady Harp, May 14