How to Find Your Way in the Dark by Derek B. Miller

☆☆☆☆☆
.ePUB, 331 pages
Expected Publication: July 27th 2021 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

About the Book:
Twelve-year old Sheldon Horowitz is still recovering from the tragic loss of his mother only a year ago when a suspicious traffic accident steals the life of his father near their home in rural Massachusetts. It is 1938, and Sheldon, who was in the truck, emerges from the crash an orphan hell-bent on revenge. He takes that fire with him to Hartford, where he embarks on a new life under the roof of his buttoned-up Uncle Nate. Sheldon, his teenage cousins Abe and Mirabelle, and his best friend, Lenny, will contend with tradition and orthodoxy, appeasement and patriotism, mafia hitmen and angry accordion players, all while World War II takes center stage alongside a hurricane in New England and comedians in the Catskills. With his eye always on vengeance for his father’s murder, Sheldon stakes out his place in a world he now understands is comprised largely of crimes: right and wrong, big and small.

My Review:

Sheldon’s taste for crime novels had changed. They never matched the emotional intensity of the reality, and their distance from lived experience made him edgy.

This book was a heartbreaking read and reduced me to tears at times, but I still felt compelled to read it to the end. So many times I wanted to be able to put my arms around Sheldon (and Abe and Mirabelle) for the life he'd been dealt and for his courage. It's sensitively written and shows the author has tremendous insight into the human condition. 

Beautifully written with the characters coming to life. Some of Sheldon's blunt language about people had me smiling. It’s also a story that has tragic consequences leading to a vortex of despair and redemption. The slow pace reflects that of the setting, parts of the USA rarely written about. Those liking fast paced modern “thrillers” will be disappointed but if you enjoy good writing, believable characters and a vivid painting of the setting; read, enjoy and contemplate. A literary treasure. This is the first book I've read by this author and I'll definitely be reading some more.

Disclosure:
Thank you NetGalley, Derek B. Miller and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an impartial review; all opinions are my own.

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