Solomon's Puzzle
Readers' Comments:...I inhaled Solomon s Puzzle. I m not an avid reader but I couldn t put it down! I had to remind myself several times not to actually look for these people while in Annapolis! The characters are the most believable I ve read in a long time. I spent so many nights up till 2 a.m. reading. I finished it so fast, I ve loaned the book to my sister but I intend to re-read it again once she s finished with it. It s just that wonderful.J.E. teacher...I devoured Solomon s Puzzle in about a week...I read for 6 hours straight one day! (my older 2 were visiting cousins, and my baby was content to sit in my lap... it was a great day!)I don't think I have ever been so wholeheartedly connected to a book in my life! Every character was so believably complex! I feel like I have known many of them my whole life... and I have this burning desire to go to Annapolis for a cappuccino at the quilt store and cafe in the book Eight Hands Around.One of my favorite things about the book is that some of the most likable and respectable characters are still very rough around the edges.As I read, I ached for Ben. My anxiety for him was so real, it kept me up at night. Tom and Laurie have inspired me as a parent. I believe any father would be moved by Tom's example. His strength and humility and love for others is such a clear picture of the Gospel.The author has an uncanny ability to see the truth in people, appreciate the different areas of strength people have, and to celebrate them, not ever trying to force them into a mold. Reading Solomon's Puzzle was a truly amazing experience!J.B. English teacher...I just finished reading Solomon s Puzzle and I recommend it for all. The book left me spiritually satiated yet yearning for more of life s truths.T. L. Policeman... I finished Solomon s Puzzle and I loved it. I got drawn into the world Nebbia created, getting attached to Ben and angry at Max. The characters are exquisitely crafted and I couldn t stop I think I read for seven hours straight to finish.D.I. administrator... I read the book in three days of course, not much sleep. I loved it. Loved knowing the locale, especially the Academy. It made me feel like I was sitting right in the story. Nebbia made the characters so real. I could feel right along with them through their various emotions. Can t wait for the sequel.L.S. quilter...I can't get anything done now that I am the proud owner ofSolomon's Puzzle...only 150 pages in but read every chance I get. Thanks for a quality book!!...I have finally come to the end ofSolomon's Puzzle, and I am ready to turn it over and start again. --Reviews from theSolomon's PuzzlewebsiteReaders' Comments:...I devoured Solomon s Puzzle in about a week...I read for 6 hours straight one day! (my older 2 were visiting cousins, and my baby was content to sit in my lap... it was a great day!)I don't think I have ever been so wholeheartedly connected to a book in my life! Every character was so believably complex! I feel like I have known many of them my whole life... and I have this burning desire to go to Annapolis for a cappuccino at the quilt store and cafÃ© in the book Eight Hands Around.One of my favorite things about the book is that some of the most likable and respectable characters are still very rough around the edges.As I read, I ached for Ben. My anxiety for him was so real, it kept me up at night. Tom and Laurie have inspired me as a parent. I believe any father would be moved by Tom's example. His strength and humility and love for others is such a clear picture of the Gospel... I cried many times reading both the tough and tender moments he shares with both Joe and Ben. I feel very much at a loss for words in my effort to express how incredib --Reviews from theSolomon's PuzzlewebsiteReaders' Comments:...I devoured Solomon s Puzzle in about a week...I read for 6 hours straight one day! (my older 2 were visiting cousins, and my baby was content to sit in my lap... it was a great day!)I don't think I have ever been so wholeheartedly connected to a book in my life! Every character was so believably complex! I feel like I have known many of them my whole life... and I have this burning desire to go to Annapolis for a cappuccino at the quilt store and café in the book Eight Hands Around.One of my favorite things about the book is that some of the most likable and respectable characters are still very rough around the edges.As I read, I ached for Ben. My anxiety for him was so real, it kept me up at night. Tom and Laurie have inspired me as a parent. I believe any father would be moved by Tom's example. His strength and humility and love for others is such a clear picture of the Gospel... I cried many times reading both the tough and tender moments he shares with both Joe and Ben. I feel very much at a loss for words in my effort to express how incredibly beautiful this story was/is for me.The author has an uncanny ability to see the truth in people, appreciate the different areas of strength people have, and to celebrate them, not ever trying to force them into a mold. Reading Solomon's Puzzle was a truly amazing experience! J.B. English teacher...I just finished reading Solomon s Puzzle and I recommend it for all. The book left me spiritually satiated yet yearning for more of life s truths. T. L. Policeman... I finished Solomon s Puzzle and I loved it. I got drawn into the world Nebbia created, getting attached to Ben and angry at Max. The characters are exquisitely crafted and I couldn t stop I think I read for seven hours straight to finish. D.I. administrator... I read the book in three days of course, not much sleep. I loved it. Loved knowing the locale, especially the Academy. It made me feel like I was sitting right in the story. Nebbia made the characters so real. I could feel right along with them through their various emotions. Can t wait for the sequel. L.S. quilter...I can't get anything done now that I am the proud owner ofSolomon's Puzzle...only 150 pages in but read every chance I get. Thanks for a quality book!!...I have finally come to the end ofSolomon's Puzzle, and I am ready to turn it over and start it all over again. It's an AMAZING story, a beautifully woven tapestry of despair turned to healing and hope....I never knew sewing could be so sexy...After reading this book I'll never look at flannel or magnetically-guided seams the same way. But seriously, what makesSolomon's Puzzlesuch a page-turner is the incredible depth of the characters and it is that detail that makes for such a tense, enthralling read....I finished!! It was one of the best books I ve ever read! The characters were so real I feel like I know them all so well, and there wasn t a dull moment on a single page. I told my husband he could start as soon as I was finished...only I started reading it for a second time so he has to wait longer. But I ll share soon. A.W. barista...So last night was the night I had to stop stalling and accept the fact that the book was ending. I am a non-fiction girl, but I was completely captivated bySolomon s Puzzle,and actually found myself reading slower and slower to stretch out the last book over the last 3 days was eager to know the mystery, but didn't want such a great read to end! J.P. teacher, homemaker --Readers Comments theSolomon's PuzzlewebsiteBen's DilemmaIt s a well-known story. Two women give birth to male children just days apart. One of the infants dies during the night while everyone in the household is asleep. The women come before King Solomon, each claiming the sole living child as her son.In her debut novel, Solomon s Puzzle, Loris Nebbia explores a twist on this old and familiar story: What if the child had been given to the liar?The novel follows Ben Hunter, a quiet and thoughtful fifteen-year-old trying his best to navigate his father s violent moods. In school and on the basketball court, Ben is always two steps ahead of everyone else, accomplishing academic and athletic feats with an easy grace that appears effortless. He is inquisitive, seeking out the answers to problems with a tireless determination. But what he can t figure out is why his father who is at times menacing, at times almost friendly seems to harbor a burning hatred toward him.The story takes place in Annapolis, where Ben s family has relocated to the U.S. Naval Academy at the start of his junior year of high school. Nebbia s elegant descriptions of the setting are almost enough to make native Marylanders forget about the oppressive August humidity. Anyone who has ever visited Annapolis will recognize its familiar beauty immediately:Ben turned to see the widening vista of Main Street slope down to the dock. The water in the harbor beyond lay still and smooth, glazed in a wide path with the hot sunlight that glowed above thin, gold-edged clouds. Seagulls coasted through the slanted morning sunlight. This same clear light reflected from the harbor s white boats and gilded the scattered panes of glass in the quiet brick storefronts that lined the street and burnished the brick streets to crimson.In addition to her powers of description, Nebbia is equally skilled at creating characters who are convincingly real, with rich back stories and relationships that entangle them in one another s lives. The tortured and unpredictable Max Hunter, the mysterious Gregen Bénet, the kind and compassionate Tom MacBride, who cannot tell a lie yet seems to be holding back part of the truth.Through these characters, Solomon s Puzzle explores the bounds of human relationships and the complex questions they raise. How far must one go in the name of family loyalty? Do our past experiences dictate the paths our lives are bound to follow? Does God place us in difficult circumstances for a reason, or has God left the building?Nebbia s thoughtful plotting reveals how bad experiences, past mistakes, and bitterness can eventually turn human beings into villains. But in spite of dark plot twists, this is, overall, a story of hope; you will no doubt find yourself rooting for Ben.Kristen Intlekofer is a freelance editor. She lives in Annapolis, MarylandDiane Rey's article in Annapolis' newspaper, The Capital, tells about the author's writing journey. Read it by googling the author's name and the novel title.Read more reviews and readers' comments by visiting the novel's website. --Reviews from theSolomon's Puzzlewebsite