Well With My Soul / Gregory Allen

Reviewed by: BigAl

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Approximate word count: 85-90,000 words

Availability
Kindle US: YES UK: YES Nook: YES Smashwords: NO Paper: YES
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Author:

Born in small town Texas, Gregory Allen grew up in a suburb of Dallas where he first became interested in theatre as a teen, writing three musicals, all produced on stage while still in high school. Leaving Texas, Allen went to New York to study acting and has written, acted in, directed, and produced several musicals. He currently lives with his partner in New Jersey where he manages a college art center. Allen has written one other novel, Proud Pants. For more, visit the author’s website.

Description:

The story of two brothers who grew up in small town Tennessee: Jacob, a liberal gay man, and Noah, a southern conservative.

Appraisal:

I have a belief that the best way of explaining almost anything is through contrast. It’s like this, but not like that. This is why my reviews overuse words like but, yet, and however. Well With My Soul is a story of contrasts, which lead the reader to a better understanding of many facets of the human condition. Contrast figures into the time the book takes place, from the hedonistic late ‘70s into the conservative Reagan years, and the geography, from a small, backwoods southern town to New York, the center of the universe.

Most important of all is the contrast between the two brothers who are the dual narrators and protagonists. Through these contrasts, Well With My Soul gives plenty of opportunity to consider such subjects as religion and family, but its most powerful message is to be true to who you are.

FYI:

Contains a small amount of adult language and some sexual situations.

Format/Typo Issues:

A small number of typos and other proofreading issues.

Rating: **** Four stars