Review by Gargoylegarden -- McDowell by William H. Coles
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Review by Gargoylegarden -- McDowell by William H. Coles
[Following is a volunteer review of "McDowell" by William H. Coles.]
McDowell, a novel by William H. Coles, tells the story of a despicable character who faced a humbling tragedy.
The story begins in 1981 with Hiram McDowell climbing the Himalayas. Hiram and Erick Woolf are climbing partners in a group with four other climbers. When Woolf can go no further, he tells Hiram to continue the trek to the top. Hiram took a few photos from his view at the highest point on earth. On his descent, he finds Woolf a few feet from where he had left him, in poor condition. Rescue from base camp would be impossible. He took Woolf’s remaining oxygen supply and started down.
Fast forward to 2000.
Hiram needed a few more votes to obtain the position of President of the Board of Regents of the International College of Surgeons. In return for his support, he promised O’Leary the executive director position. He did not keep his promise.
Hiram is neglectful of his family and spends as much time as possible in Nepal. As the founder of a surgery center there, he makes many trips to Nepal. This is convenient for him. It allows him to hike his beloved Himalayas and to be with his girlfriend, Rima.
Then a tragedy happens, forcing Hiram to go on the run. The redemption of Hiram McDowell begins.
I enjoyed the way that Mr. Cole was able to maintain the dialect of each region as Hiram, now going by the name of Pete Lake, traveled across the country and around the world. I was especially pleased to see this deviant character evolve. It gives me hope for the rest of us. I occasionally needed to look up words, which is a good thing. After all, reading should teach us, as well as entertain us. Mr. Cole clearly understands the psyche of each of the characters. He used his own professional experience to relate to the different echelons of society, giving respect to all people. His history as a surgeon lends credence to the medical scenes. Sophie, Hiram’s daughter, brings another theme to the story. She is a photographer. The theme of her work, the plight of women, adds dimension.
The only thing that I did not like about the book was that the date 2001 was mentioned before 2000, which confused me.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. This book appears to be professionally edited. The characters are well developed. Conflicts are resolved. He worked through the protagonists’ issues, changing my opinion from dislike to admiration.
I recommend this book to adult readers. There were some references to sex, but nothing explicit. The terms referencing body parts were clinical. Perhaps, I should say educational. I do not believe that it will be repulsive to either religious or non-religious people. Cursing is minimal. However, there are a couple of instances of profanity. Warning, there is abuse and murder.
******
McDowell
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes | on Smashwords
McDowell, a novel by William H. Coles, tells the story of a despicable character who faced a humbling tragedy.
The story begins in 1981 with Hiram McDowell climbing the Himalayas. Hiram and Erick Woolf are climbing partners in a group with four other climbers. When Woolf can go no further, he tells Hiram to continue the trek to the top. Hiram took a few photos from his view at the highest point on earth. On his descent, he finds Woolf a few feet from where he had left him, in poor condition. Rescue from base camp would be impossible. He took Woolf’s remaining oxygen supply and started down.
Fast forward to 2000.
Hiram needed a few more votes to obtain the position of President of the Board of Regents of the International College of Surgeons. In return for his support, he promised O’Leary the executive director position. He did not keep his promise.
Hiram is neglectful of his family and spends as much time as possible in Nepal. As the founder of a surgery center there, he makes many trips to Nepal. This is convenient for him. It allows him to hike his beloved Himalayas and to be with his girlfriend, Rima.
Then a tragedy happens, forcing Hiram to go on the run. The redemption of Hiram McDowell begins.
I enjoyed the way that Mr. Cole was able to maintain the dialect of each region as Hiram, now going by the name of Pete Lake, traveled across the country and around the world. I was especially pleased to see this deviant character evolve. It gives me hope for the rest of us. I occasionally needed to look up words, which is a good thing. After all, reading should teach us, as well as entertain us. Mr. Cole clearly understands the psyche of each of the characters. He used his own professional experience to relate to the different echelons of society, giving respect to all people. His history as a surgeon lends credence to the medical scenes. Sophie, Hiram’s daughter, brings another theme to the story. She is a photographer. The theme of her work, the plight of women, adds dimension.
The only thing that I did not like about the book was that the date 2001 was mentioned before 2000, which confused me.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. This book appears to be professionally edited. The characters are well developed. Conflicts are resolved. He worked through the protagonists’ issues, changing my opinion from dislike to admiration.
I recommend this book to adult readers. There were some references to sex, but nothing explicit. The terms referencing body parts were clinical. Perhaps, I should say educational. I do not believe that it will be repulsive to either religious or non-religious people. Cursing is minimal. However, there are a couple of instances of profanity. Warning, there is abuse and murder.
******
McDowell
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes | on Smashwords
