It's three inspirational stories about people who are going through a difficult time in life. They passed through the storm fighting on the battlefield in the end.They faith grew and started to move mountains
It's three inspirational stories about people who are going through a difficult time in life. They passed through the storm fighting on the battlefield in the end.They faith grew and started to move mountains
Hurricane Katrina vs hurricane Ida, Jean, Shepherd tales
The Perfect Storm by Bryan Howard features three short stories: Hurricane Katrina vs. Hurricane Ida, Jean, and Shepherd’s Tale.
The first story is a modern re-telling of the ancient Old Testament story of Job. It begins with a Prologue that is a conversation between God, the Archangel Michael, and “Lucy” (and we’re not talking Ricardo). This part is clever and imaginative.
In the second story, Jean, the son of a ruthless drug lord is suddenly released from prison and trying to turn over a leaf. He has a friend who’s sometimes called “Marcus” and at other times “Marcos” (p. 40). Upon release, Jean finds a new girlfriend, Jenny. She is kidnapped by a gang of thugs who have a bone to pick with Jean’s deceased father. Jean and his friend Marcus rally to rescue her. Then it kind of goes "thud." Although interesting, the story lacks a discernible focus. Interactions between characters seem wooden and artificial.
Shepherd’s Tale is a short story about a man who awakens from a “weird dream.” Warned by an angel in the forest, John suddenly finds himself teleported to Los Angeles and on the run from the imminent arrival of an evil sorceress. Why the sorceress is after John and wants to kill him is not clearly explained.
The manuscript could benefit from another proofread and a professional edit. For example, “John” becomes “James” on page 49, probably as the result of a typo. And speaking of typos, hopefully the Silver family’s guesthouse suite is not “neat and homely” (p. 57), etc. Formatting is also an issue. While the first two sections are double-spaced, the last section, Shepherd’s Tale, is single spaced.
This book has potential. The writing sparkles in places. But it’s not ready for prime time. It’s hamstrung by the lack of a unifying theme, brittle and contrived plots, and thin characterizations. It would benefit greatly from another re-write.