Book Review: The Summer of ’47
The Summer of ’47. Frederick H. Crook. Solstice Publishing, October 6, 2016, Trade Paperback and Kindle, 366 Pages.
Reviewed by Ken Sawilchik.
When I was a child, I lived near a popular toboggan run. The ride was awesome, but what everyone still talks about was the climb to the top, consisting of approximately 125 stairs reaching nearly 100 feet high. We made the climb carrying long wooden sleds over our heads in freezing temperatures. During the course of reading The Summer of ‘47 by Frederick H. Crook, I was often reminded of that experience.
Set in the period shortly after the conclusion of World War II, Aron Wakefield returns to his home in rural Illinois, unwittingly with his two dead brothers and a series of otherworldly beings in tow.
Aron endured a succession of injuries during the war, one of which was severe enough that he actually died, but the military medical staff brought him back to life. Upon his revitalization, he "sees dead people." After his eventual release from a string of armed forces hospitals, he moves back in with his family and the sightings come with him. This spooks his parents but not Christina Johnson, a family friend since childhood and girlfriend of his now deceased brother, David.
The first half of Crook's fifth novel lacks anything compelling except for a minor bit of action in which the apparitions reveal themselves. In contrast with the toboggan run, I had no idea where the story was heading for the first half of the narrative. But much like it, the latter portion of the novel was an exhilarating ride down a steep incline at breakneck speed, taking me on a trip that was unique, attention grabbing, and entertaining. This is not a typical ghost story by any measure. It is a well-written genre mashing effort that gets your mind churning and contemplating possible outcomes. Unfortunately, once you reach the bottom of the slope things turn a bit rocky.
Aron and Christina get tangled up in a murder investigation in which the ghosts play a key role. The result is a one-of-a-kind journey that deviates substantially from the customary continuous string of fright scenes that you might anticipate. These apparitions are intelligent, mischievous, and useful, but the methodology of how they appear is inconsistent. At times, their presence seems random and at others premeditated. The unfolding action is captivating enough that those transgressions can be dismissed. Why spoil a good time by getting trapped in details? The resolution of the mystery is telegraphed a bit, but not enough that the ride is ruined.
Once the murder investigation is solved, the conclusion takes another unexpected twist. The wrap-up was confusing and dissatisfying, and I found myself questioning the meaning of the entire novel. In lock step with my winter adventure analogy, I reached the end of the ride a little bewildered from excitement. It differs in that the ride was not captivating enough to give me the wherewithal to begin another excursion to the apex of the hill.