Terence O’Leary’s Emmet and the Boy: A Story of Endless Love and Hope (Swan Creek Press, 241 pp., $12.99, paper; $8.99, Kindle) is a work of fiction written for young adults as were many of O’Leary’s earlier works. This book is every bit as strong as O’Leary’s 2017 novel, Bringing Boomer Home. There is a lot in the new book about the process of dying from cancer and Hospice. Since I am currently dying from cancer, I found a lot to identify with.
The Old Man, the main character of this story, suffers through the lingering death of his wife, the love of his life, and tries to find the will to go on living. His grandson was abandoned by his father following his parents’ nasty divorce, and is hiding in a fantasy world.
Somehow, the mismatched aspect of their generations makes it possible for them to communicate. They hide out at Grandpa’s lakeside cabin way out in the Michigan woods. The Old Man, Emmet, tries to help the boy, Colin, heal, as he himself begins to heal by getting over the death of his beloved wife.
The book consists of simple short chapters. Some are just discussions between the Old Man and the boy about the meaning of life or past experiences. My favorite chapter comes late in the book when the subject of war rears its ugly head.
“You were in the Army?’
“Just for a couple of years.”
“Were you in a war?”
The Old Man does not want to talk about the war, but he goes ahead and does so. He’s asked if he killed anyone.
“I was a medic. My job was to try to save people, not kill them.”
“That’s cool. I bet you were good at it.”
The Old Man goes on to discuss further the Vietnam War.
“They say time heals all. It doesn’t. The memories of Viet Nam are still with me like ghosts in the corner.”
I highly recommend this sensitive book to young adults, and to those who are not so young. O’Leary is one of the best writers currently writing to this audience.
The author’s website is www.terenceoleary.com
—David Willson
Books in Review II 