Review: Book Review by Beverley
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 7, 2014
5.0 of 5 StarsFor original review see The Prism Book Alliance Blog onlineThe Art of the Heart is a gorgeous, luscious short story about a lonely boy who despairs of ever finding love. He lives in the heartland of America, Sweetwater, which is a tiny farming community. He has isolated himself from the other residents and students at school by being quiet and hiding behind his hair never making eye contact. Some think his is slow and he has heard them talking about him increasing his isolation even more. The reality is somewhat different.This story is full of tender, heart wrenching, teenage awkwardness and loneliness; the pain of being different for whatever reason and seeing no way out, no end. This piece is so sensitively written that a situation, happening for the first time to a thirteen year old boy, which should be excruciatingly embarrassing, is sweet and amazing, full of meaning. It also highlights the aloneness of this boy in a way that almost made me sob.Dan Skinner is a master of the emotional narrative. It doesn’t feel crafted it feels as though it has always been complete and smooth, as though it just flowed from his mind unhindered. I had to write this review because no one around me had read The Art of the Heart, and I had to talk about it. My throat still aches from the emotion this story caused in me. The cover is a scene from the book  beautifully rendered by one of his models, Dave, and D.W. Skinner’s photographic talents.Buy this quiet little gem you won’t regret it.