Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Eight-year-old Howie Evinger is convinced that his dad would be happier if he found a new husband. Howie would be happier, too. And somewhere out there in the city of Vancouver, there’s the right man for his dad to love. But how to find him? That’s a problem, especially if you’re just a kid and your dad says he doesn’t want another husband.

With the help of his quirky aunt, Shanna, who calls herself a Buddhist Wiccan, Howie builds his very own solstice altar with cool symbols to support his search. It has a candle, a feather, and a twisty stick, plus an agate for his dad, and a scallop shell for his new husband. Share Howie’s solstice adventure as he learns how real magic requires courage and patience as well as symbols.

Book Review

Howie, of 'Stone and Shell' by Lloyd A. Meeker,  is excited about the upcoming Winter Solstice season, not just because of the celebration, although he loves the Festival of Lights that takes place, but also because this year, he has a mission. He wants to find a new husband for his father.

Ever since his dad's husband left, Howie has been sad. He misses him but knows how unhappy his father is to be alone. Howie is convinced that with the right tools, he can envision a new love for his dad. Since he knows what he wants, but doesn't quite know how to go about it, he enlists the help of his aunt who he is sure can teach him how to set up his altar, find the right elements, the symbols he needs to obtain the desired result. Even though he's picked out his things to symbolize what he wants to happen, he stresses a lot about how to position them. Howie asks his aunt, but she tells him that knowledge can only come from the Universe, from inside his heart and no one knows that but him. She advises him to be very clear in what he wants to happen, visualize it, but also remember that what we think we may want isn't always what we need. Howie steadfastly clings to the thought of finding love for his father and a new father for himself while trying to keep in mind his aunt's admonitions.

Written from Howie's perspective, Lloyd does an excellent job of staying in character as he portrays Howie, an eight-year-old boy with all the hope, innocence, and love involved in wanting something, not just for himself, or even a material thing, but something much more intangible and ethereal. Howie is wise beyond his years. How could the Universe not grant his wish? Or is that part of his life lesson? Thank you, Lloyd, for your touching holiday story and for making my heart sing.

 

 

 

 

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Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Short Story, 26 pages/11200 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	28-November-2016
Price	$1.99 ebook
Buy Link	http://ninestarpress.com/product/stone-and-shell/