Review: Slow but captivating read ----
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 19, 2013
I was immediately swept into this novel with the prologue.  Neil Kazenzakis is employed as a teacher by the Port Manitou School District.  Neil is directed to attend an educational conference in Wisconsin and he takes with him his wife, Wendy, and son, Christopher.  It was to be a relaxing mini vacation for them.  Then - the unthinkable happens, a terrible accident in the pool and Wendy is flown to the University Hospital which leaves her in a vegetative condition.  And the story unfolds ----This is a captivating story about the power of family love, loss, sacrifice, and survival.  The author does an amazing job  getting into the hearts and minds of the characters and a lot of drama unfolds.One negative comment - after the prologue, I struggled with this book through several chapters, almost giving up - too much information.  But, I'm glad I continued on - I eventually became fully engaged in the storyline as the chapters really started to flow with many twists and turns and a myriad of obstacles for Neil and his son to overcome.  There were splashes of humor spread throughout and I especially loved the father - son relationship between Neil and Chris - very touching.The last several chapters and the ending were my favorite parts of the book.  These chapters were beautifully written with poignancy that will absolutely touch your heart.  And the ending is filled with new beginnings.This is a great debut novel by Jon Harrison and I'll be watching for future books by him.  My rating is 3.5 stars.