For two decades Tyler Gibbons has been keeping a secret from his family. At the tender age of sixteen, Tyler embarks on a student exchange program. Sent to the Andean city of Ambato, Ecuador, he finds daily adventure as he tries to fit in at school, connect with his host family, and navigate through a world of beaches, volcanoes, and jungles. But tucked deep inside this year are events so profound, so unexpected, they forever shape the man he will become. Now, 25 years later, his mother pulls these soaring tales from her son, exposing, for the first time, the source of a deep unhappiness. While these memories contain the wounds of an unresolved past, they also possess the power to heal his painful present. Thoughtfully crafted and boldly told, Tyler’s journey takes the reader on a wild South American adventure, while illuminating a mother’s unyielding power to heal her child.
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My review:
I was sooo impressed by this book. I hate the word poignant but it really was a fantastic, poignant coming of age story about a boy turned man who in his youth takes himself out of his comfort zone and throws himself into a culture he barely knows not does he speak the language only to be faced in adulthood with the mortality of his mother who he has always had a difficult relationship with. It was awesome to see how unleashing past events to his mother mended certain things and became cathartic for Tyler. I normally shy away from books like this because I get too emotionally involved but I’m glad I took the chance to read it, totally worth it. I HIGHLY recommend this book.
Meet the Author:
Randy Anderson is a novelist and playwright. His first book was published in 2011. On Making Off recounted his adventures running The Beggars Group, a downtown theater company that produced over two dozen productions at the turn of the millennium. He is also the author of several plays including; Kill the President, The Dwelling, and Yippie! Randy currently lives in Brooklyn where he writes, reasons, and reacts. You can contact him at www.onmakingoff.com, or on twitter @onmakingoff. Find the author on: Facebook / Twitter / Literary Addicts / Goodreads / Website
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