THE STORY OF ONE FAMILY’S STRUGGLE WITH GRIEF AND SURVIVAL

 

 

To Catch the Wind, a sequel to Under the Oaks, is set in a small fictional town in Georgia in the early 1970s. Almost twenty years have passed since Wes Deveraux arrived in Farnham. In that time, he has married beautiful Colleen Davis, and they have a son, David, and a daughter. Beth. When David is killed in Vietnam, each family member struggles with grief in their own way. Wes and Colleen find their marriage slowly falling apart. While dealing with her pain, Beth observes the fissure in her parent's relationship from the perspective of a teenager almost lost in the shadow of her brother's death.

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PRAISE FOR TO CATCH THE WIND

 

 

Under the Oaks is a love story that unfolds amid the aftermath of the Korean War and racial segregation in a small town in southern Georgia. In addition to the love of their high school football team, the townspeople share many secrets, beginning with their loose definition of “dry county.” However, some of the town’s residents hide something far more sinister. The characters grapple with truth, honor, and loyalty in an otherwise peaceful and idyllic setting. This book is well written and was a pleasure to read.

            Valerie Joan Connors, Author of A Better Truth

 

Get out a box of tissues before reading To Catch the Wind, by former Georgia Author of the Year, Michael K. Brown. This is a novel of emotions, a sequel to Brown’s previous excellent book, Under the Oaks, although it can be read as a stand-alone book. This story of love, loss, and the resilience of the human spirit will touch your heart. The novel begins in the 1970s, during the turbulence of the Vietnam War era, twenty years after Wesley Devereaux stepped off a bus in a small South Georgia town following his service in the Korean War. He now has a wife, two children, and a job as a principal at the local high school. Tragedy strikes Wes and his family with a gut-punch early in the novel. The story focuses on their struggles to rebuild their lives and relationships from the emotional ashes. As they flounder to handle complex issues—alcoholism, love, loyalty, communication—we see ourselves in their vividly drawn humanity. This novel, like his previous, is a showcase for the author’s skill at rendering detail: of the small- town environment, of the complexity of emotions and relationships. It evokes the film Ordinary People with its power and tenderness and is a testament to the strength of love and family. I enjoyed it immensely and highly recommend it.

            Constance McKee, Author of The Girl in the Mirror

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