Cheryl Shireman

Cooper Moon The Calling Shines a Light on Small Town Life

Life in a small town leaves no anonymity to be found. Secrets never stay secret, and once the close-knit occupants form an opinion, that stance is rarely changed. Death by association is easily gained, and there is little hope of life after such a demise. In all fairness, since some readers have an aversion to religious-based works, it must be said that the novel carries a large religious base with it. However, this element does not color the entire tale, but it does exist.

The characters emanate a life force all their own, and readers familiar with the small town atmosphere will recognize every character although perhaps by another name. The main character, Cooper Moon, is a ne’er-do-well blindly feeling his way through changes he must make. Life elements are carried by word of mouth through the community, and there is no escape. Inhabitants range from arrogant to desperate and passed those traits on to vengeful. These are characters readers will love, hate, or love to hate, but all are almost uncomfortably realistic.

The plot is well thought out and straightforward. The language is simple daily speech. Readers will find the work an easy read, but not so much so, that one flounders on the surface of the tale without delving deeper. All things said it was a good read with much potential. It will be interesting to see where Cheryl Shireman takes the inhabitants of Timberlake next.… (mehr)