peterallennovel.com

This first novel by Peter Allen raises some great questions about reality and fiction in our lives, about our narratives. Things happen to James, the central character, over which he is unable to exercise influence, and his life has never been what he wanted it to be. This is not a traditional novel as normally thought of, but it does provoke thought. It deals with disappointment, failure and the inability to get control over his life. He tells his story from a bar stool in San Francisco while trying to decide if he could start over by returning to the small lumber town where he went to high school. The story is set in the redwood region of Northern California and Oregon of the 1950s. You may have gone to school with his characters, who are no heroes but are human to the core. I recommend the book to anyone who loves reading about the human condition and its many struggles.
Jake Williams, present-day, full-time Poet and retired Editor, Contra Costa Times.