|
|
 |
Heritage Restored |  |
 Home Page |
Submission Guidelines |
Caught In The Rain |
Dreams of Darkness |
Echoes of Angels |
Heartbreaker |
Heritage Restored |
Palo Verde |
The Loremaster |
The Inspector's Wife |
The Ugly Princess |
Twenty-Six Pack |
|
by Alastair Rosie |
||
|
In "Heritage Restored," writer and prisoner, Barry Hancock, finds what he dubiously sees at first as an unlikely fan, publisher Monique O'Shannesey, when fate brings one of Barry's works into O'Shannesey's hands. Barry's hesitance to trust Monique is compounded by Monique's physical appearance; frightfully reflective of a mythic feminine symbol from his youth. But as Monique delves further into Barry's writings- spiritually electric allegorical poems and prose- a mutual trust ensues, a relationship which helps both to examine and make closure upon several personal ghosts too long avoided. The twenty-four chapters of "Heritage Restored" are a mixture of drama and parable, implementing passages from Monique's journals, Barry's short-stories and poems, and solid prose. These diverse genres compliment each other here, and while Rosie is a crafted writer in all, his poetry specifically stands out for merit. The journal passages deserve applause for relating personal issues from a woman's perspective without deviating toward the male slant. The short-stories are creative, imbued with much symbolism and a pristine narrative. The different writing styles are honed by care to editing, and the characters for the most part quite believable. My only criticism for this work is for Monique's character outside the journal, where there it is restricted by a slight reliance on romance-novel dialog and mannerisms. This, however, is not enough to damage the overall story. The ending brings a gentle satisfaction to a story which evoked a wide-range of emotions; and I appreciated the author refraining from deluging the work with characters (and especially unneeded ones), an irritating trend amongst some popular writers. I was fascinated by this beautiful and at times despairing read. Rosie has a mastered talent, and with "Heritage Restored" has given us a story which touches and speaks to the essential human in all of us. "Heritage Restored" is available through Atlantic Bridge Publishing http://www.atlanticbridge.net Reviewed by Maria Osborne Perry Highly Recommended |
||
 |
||
|
|
||
 |
||