| Review by Steven Law
They dreamed of a different life. A
life not supported by concrete pillars, decorated by crowds of people,
and the sounds of automobile motors and the smell of exhaust. Pinewood
Lake seemed to have the answers, where writer Johnny Paul could find
peace in his work, and where together with his alcoholic wife, Angela,
and their toddler son, Colin, they could start anew.
The Ballad Of Pinewood Lake is a story of a family and how they
confront a personal crisis, and also, quite possibly, how they hide
from it. Seemingly content with their new surroundings of the lake,
with the harmony of tall pines and wildlife, they intertwine with the
people of Pinewood Lake, who unexpectedly go against the grain of the
Paul’s desired change. They too, like the Pauls, have come to a place
to bury their past, with the assistance of alcohol, only to find that
their problems are still very much alive and indiscreet as ever. But
in Pinewood Lake they remain, to follow the seasons and brave the
social life, dreaming, and trying not to lose it all in the dark pits
of their worst fears.
Jory Sherman, notable for a vivid and stylistic prose, comparable only
to classics such as Joyce, Fitzgerald or Hemmingway, triumphs again
with a story as touching as it is tragic. Undoubtedly a book for all
times, and quite possibly Sherman’s best work yet.
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