Hank Early

A book that took me over a month to read? What the hell? That's normally more of a career-spanning omnibus, or a 1000 page comic book collection, not a just-over-three-hundred-page novel.

So, let it be said, the only thing that stopped me from reading this in the usual two to three days was that I started it just as I had to begin packing for a move and, during that time, the book was packed away, and was only found a few days ago. So, the length of time has nothing to do with the quality of the novel, just personal circumstance.

As for the novel itself, man, there's so much to unpack here. A rabid Westboro-like cult following far-right Christian group held under the spell of the main character's father who may or may not be dead. The sibling rivalry between the main character and his brother. The fallout of the second generation of the church's followers. The lies and corruption.

And then there's Earl himself, coming back home after almost three decades and confronting that fallout, as well as his history with all of the above.

So, yeah, there's enough here for a trilogy of books, to be fair, but somehow, the author keeps all the balls in the air and moves the story along nicely, introducing the elements organically.

Just a solid read. Really enjoyed this one.… (altro)

Earl Marcus returns to his birthplace, a very rural area in North Georgia, after rumours of sightings of his father(after his death )have reached him. He left this area, his father and especially a rather weird (we're talking ordeals by snakes here)and intense evangelical church community where his father was a very charismatic preacher and leader, some 30 years previously. Not much has changed,the church still has fervent followers, moonshine is still drunk and the whole area still feels pretty isolated from the rest of the world. To make matters worse, young girls go missing and return completely disoriented, anxious and with strange marks on their bodies.
This is a very atmospheric novel,one can feel the claustrophobic sensation and the threat of approaching thunderstorms.But as the story evolves,the storyline starts to unravel and the last half/quarter of the book could do with some serious editing. Pity...… (altro)

I enjoyed the first Earl Marcus book o much, and was so impressed with the writing, that as soon as I finished Heaven's Crooked Finger, I immedioately went online and ordered the next book in the series, this book: In the Valley of the Devil. Last nght I literally stayed up until almost 5am reading, I couldn't put it down until I finished it. I could not stop turning the pages! I wanted to know what was going to happen next.

I think Hank Early is a remarkable writer, and his books should be getting a lot more attention than they are. The characters are real and the background struggles that many of them have that tie them together is as fascinating as it is horrible. As someone with an abusive childhood myself, although not anything to do with religion, I could relate to so much of the anger and dysfunction that Earl and his friend Rufus, and his cousin all struggled with over the years trying to overcome the abuse and ugliness they were raised in. They aren't perfect people, but they feel real. People aren't all good. They make mistakes and act stupid sometimes, and they can do evil as well as good. That comes through in spades as Hank Eary allows Earl to grow and evolve as he tries to come to terms with his psychological and emotional pain. Growth is life, and working through a past filled with anger is difficult, and can go a lot of different ways as people make choices in their lives. As Earl notes in the book, it's easy to believe that someone who does horrific things is born evil. It's easier to see the world in black and white.

Earl's blind friend Rufus is a good balance to Earl, and shows him that even when the problems are too big for one lone man to fight, it's still worth doing ... it's still worth speaking out, even if it just makes a few people think. There are plenty of dangerous, selfish and greedy people in the world who care more about making a buck or hurting others than anything else, but Earl realizes that people who you care about are worth fighting for, even when it would be easier to write them off and give up. I really liked the emotional growth that happened with Earl in this book, and his thoughts on happiness and love. The writing was powerful and moving, and stood out as so genuine and stark.

The social commentary on social classes and privilege, and the lack of empathy and compassion in so many people these days is spot on. The anger and aching heart that Earl and his friend Rufus feel, especially when they are looking at young children born into poverty and an abusive situation... it's a stark reminder of how some children seem born with so many obstacles in front of them, and too many just don't seem to care as they fall between the cracks.

A lot of racism and xenophobia and ignorance has been on the rise lately, and this book really looks at what that can be like in a small town where the rich and powerful have a lot of ugly beliefs and feelings buried just under the surface of their public faces. I highly recommend it! In fact, I plan to immediately go order the next book in the series, and I hope that Early keeps writing.… (altro)