The Pact: A Novel (Minnesota Voices Project)

Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: How sad that this wonderful book is receiving so little publicity! I could not put it down, and everyone I have shared it with has said the same thing!

Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: How sad that this wonderful book is receiving so little publicity! I could not put it down, and everyone I have shared it with has said the same thing!

Rating:
Summary: A fine debut novel
Review: In this debut novel, the first of what one hopes to be many more from this writer, Walter J Roers has skillfully crafted a novel full of the reminiscences of childhood sensations and perceptions. He is concerned with what is glibly termed "the human condition". Moral themes play throughout the book: concepts such as understanding and foregiveness, opportunities missed and opportunities shared, trust and responsibility.

Rating:
Summary: An excellent novel
Review: In this, his debut novel, Walter J Roers has skillfully crafted a story redolent with the experiences of childhood. It deals with the themes of understanding and forgiveness, opportunities shared and missed, and making sense of some of the less rational aspects of the human condition. I give Walter Roers' oeuvre a hearty "well done!" and hope to see more of his work. F Scott Fitzgerald move over and make room for this new storysmith.

Rating:
Summary: Author's first book very impressive indeed.
Review: Mr Roers has movingly written about two small boys and the sad sequence of events that shaped them for the rest of their lives.

Mr Roers' has followed an excellent dictate indeed. He has written about events that, while fictional, have basis in his own experience. In short, he has written about that which he knows.

I am saddened by the fact that this impressive first work is not receving the exposure that it deserves. Its publisher has run into financial difficulties and has not had the resources to adequately publicize it.

This book clearly deserves better.

Rating:
Summary: Surrenduring Innocence
Review: The Pact blends youth and tragedy through the eyes of a child. A child who must deal with the unfortunate consequences of being a true friend. I enjoyed the novel because it was so blunt. The joy was as clear as the misery. It addresses the issues that nobody wanted to talk about in the 1940's. Michael, the main character, shares so much insight even though he is only eight years old. We share with him the journey of realizing that life is not perfect, the good must come with the bad. His friendship with Rickey is a pillar for both of the boys to lean on. This story beautifully expresses the complexity of friendship and family. I think that anyone who has lost someone or can't imagine losing someone should read this book. It teaches us all that life goes on.

Rating:
Summary: Childhood Remembered
Review: The Pact clearly captures the time, events and people in the development of a young child. The people in our childhood impact our lives forwever and shape us as adults.Mr. Roers book depicts those heartfelt and emotional events. The book touched my heart.

Rating:
Summary: Reality--Charged
Review: The Pact, by Walter J. Roers, is a powerful book. I started reading it one morning, and by early afternoon, when I finished it, I was emotionally charged. This is unusual for me, because the novels I usually delve into are real-life ones. In my work, people come to me and pour out their life stories, their hopes, fears, and dreams. When I go home after work, it is more likely that I will chop firewood for exercise than sit down with a work of fiction. I had been slow to pick up the book. Once I did, it held me to the end. So I asked myself why this novel stirred passion in me. It may be that the story is real, or drawn faithfully from real-life experiences. An eight-year-old boy, Michael Dougherty, tells us of his struggles in his alcoholic family and his saving alliance with his best friend. Or, it may be that the author pulled me into the story through a skillful combination of the plot, family dynamics, and the believable emotional reactions of the characters. Whatever the combination of factors, the result gave me the feel of "real life," similar to my experiences with clients.

The progression of alcoholism in a family is not a new story. The disappointments, hope, despair, and redemption have been described before. This work may be unique in that the drama is described through the eyes of an eight year-old boy. His innocence is refreshing, and his struggle to hang on to a relationship with his dad is a study in ambivalence.

At the end of the book, I found myself wishing for a talk with Michael Dougherty. I would ask him more about how he survived. Some people I know are eager to find the secret to survival in his family.