This Book was written by David Guterson. He wrote another book which Idont know much about called Snow Falling on Cedars.
But he wrote thisbook which I was interested in certain parts of it, such as his ideal of wantingto commit suicide, a drifter who gave him some help on lessening the pain,and when he talked about his pass of when he was recruited from Camp Hale. This was a good book in my opinion. This book was set in the season of fall and it was around 1997. In thebook he talked of his past when he was a little kid with his dad and when hewas growing up meeting his wife. The area was a country type place in a richapple growing region. In the state of Washington were he goes to manymountains in the surrounding area.
This was the setting of the book. There were many characters in this book. The main character of thisbook was Ben Givens a seventy- three year old retired heart surgeon. Thewhole story was set around him.
Then there was his family which he talkedabout, Rachel who was his wife which who had pass away before him, Reneehis daughter, Chris his grandson, Emma his granddaughter, Aidan his brother,and Wright Givens his father. Also he had two hunting dogs which werebrow and white Brittanies named Rex and Tristan. On his hunting trip werehe had planed on committing suicide he had met many people. A youngcouple who really get along with each other, a drifter who gave him somemarijuana to ease the pain of his cancer, a veterinarian, a rancher and amigrant worker.
The summary of this story starts when Ben wakes up from anothernight of suffering from colon cancer. This day he had planned on his huntingtrip that would ease his suffering. He had everything ready in the morningand he made it seem like he was just going on a hunting trip. Right when hestarts his journey he gets into a car wreck destroying his car.
But he is pickedup by a couple that takes him to place that Ben thinks he can rent a car from. When he finds he cant and is trying to hitch a ride he meets a man that giveshim some medical marijuana to help ease his pain. Ben gives up and goesto hunt in the near by mountains. He started out hunting the chukars with his hunting dogs. At the end ofthe day he tries one of the hand rolled cigarettes the man gave him and hestarts dreaming of his past when it was him and his brother doing things withthere mom and there dad, this is the time were he met Rachel. When Benwoke up he found Rex injured and Tristian dead.
Then he met a veterinarianwho fixed Rex up. Next he had got to a hotel were he smoked some moreand started thinking of his past again. When he was in W. W. II.
When he awoke he at some point in time called his daughter and toldher about his journey he had so far. He then met some Hispanic people whohe was around with. He helped Emilio and got him apple picking. He thenhelped give birth to a baby.
The he meets Bea and her, him, and Rex gohome. When he gets home everything is the way he left it, and he calls hisdaughter and tells her that he is now home. I think this book had a pretty good ending. He went on a journey andran into so many things. Also he met so many people most good, but somebad, like the person that took his fathers gun.
After everything he went forhe decided that suicide was not the right thing to do. I am glad my teacherrecommended this book for me.
