Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Ryan Anderson has known something was wrong since he was a teenager. He’s been tormented by a sense of emptiness and loss—but what did he lose? He has no idea. Then a mysterious man appears, calling himself Tomte, a Swedish word Ryan remembers hearing from his grandmother in his childhood.

It means “Christmas elf.”

With the help of his older brother and his nine-year-old niece, Ryan begins a journey to discover what happened fifteen years ago, when he disappeared during a winter storm and didn’t reappear until spring. Not only has he forgotten those months, he’s forgotten the faithful dog who failed to come back with him. 

As memories surface and impossible things happen all around him, Ryan senses Tomte, that beautiful man he’s inexplicably drawn to, is the key to everything—his past, his future, and his happiness.

Book Review

“It is very hard to explain to people who have never known serious depression or anxiety the sheer continuous intensity of it. There is no off switch.” ~ Matt Haig

After Ryan Anderson, of 'Tomte' by Jamie Fessenden, is lost in a winter storm and reappears only the next spring in his yard, things have been difficult for him. Ryan has no memory of that time in his life. He is severely depressed and on medication, which only helps to a certain degree. Without knowing his past, he has a hard time considering a future. The only clues to his past are in his convoluted dreams that are becoming more vivid and are lasting longer. No matter how hard he tries, Ryan simply can't remember what happened all those years ago, but he knows it's the key to regaining his sanity.

Ryan's brother, Alex, is a widower with a young child, Julia. Ryan has come to town to visit them for Christmas but when Ryan arrives at his brother’s, he is greeted by a stranger who explains that the regular sitter couldn't make it. Ryan thinks this is a bit odd, but, since his niece seems to be thrilled by her caretaker, he lets it go. The stranger introduces himself as Tomte. During their encounter, Ryan can’t shake the feeling that he has met Tomte before. When his brother comes home, all traces of Tomte have disappeared. This is just the beginning of several sightings of Tomte. Ryan finally figures out that Tomte is trying to encourage Ryan to remember his past.

After a discussion about their grandparents' farm, Ryan, Alex, and Julia decide to take a trip back there to see if it jogs Ryan's memory. While there, Ryan has more vivid dreams with lots of symbolism in them, but they are beginning to change, becoming more like memories. A visit to the farm and the dreams are urging him to remember and it's not necessarily a good experience; he is assaulted with thoughts and feelings he's having trouble internalizing.

'Tomte' is a marvelous mixture of reality and fantasy, including a fairy tale like land where anything is possible. It's kind of a cross between 'Alice in Wonderland' and 'The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe', but written with even more imagination. Ryan's depression is a large component in the tale as well as how learning the truth causes him to find a “cure”. Jamie's writing isn't just a story, it's always a journey, challenging me and opening my mind to new possibilities – and 'Tomte' is no exception. Thanks, Jamie, for the exquisite combination of legend and reality.

 

 

 

 

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Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Novel, 182 pages
Heat Level
Publication Date	01-December-2018
Price	$2.99 ebook
Buy Link	https://www.amazon.com/Tomte-Jamie-Fessenden-ebook/dp/B07KWLZ4YT