3 out of 4 stars
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The Tractor by Steven Wilkens is a Christian fiction novel.
Shortly after the death of his wife, John decides to hold a garage sale with the assistance of his daughters. His grandson, Grant, lends a helping hand while admiring John’s old, broken-down tractor. When Grant is expelled from school for two weeks, John takes him under his wing and the two decide to restore the old tractor together. During that time, they really learn about one another and begin to truly bond. They both begin to realize they are a lot more similar than they thought.
I enjoyed reading this story. It is heartwarming and sweet. I love the grandfather and grandson bonding experience. While this story focuses much on the grief that John is experiencing from losing his wife, it is also a coming of age tale as Grant matures through his interactions with his grandfather. I also appreciate the hint of romance sprinkled throughout the book. The sweet little love stories of both past and present made me smile.
This is not an action-packed novel. The plot is simple and there are no huge surprises to be found, but it is an enjoyable story nonetheless. Even though I can not say that there is anything that makes it completely unforgettable, I found myself interested throughout the whole book. I was not necessarily dying to find out what would happen next, but I did want to see what the characters would say next. This story places more emphasis on characters than on plot which is something I love, but others may not.
Unfortunately, there are a few minor grammatical errors in this book. There are not many and I did not come across any major ones so my enjoyment of the book was not hindered by this. There are also a few areas where the dialogue falls flat and situations are over explained. For instance, at one point, Grant and another person are piecing together some information which is already known by the reader. The dialogue here feels contrived rather than natural and I would have liked for the author to have come up with some other way for the characters to “discover” that information.
My rating for The Tractor is 3 out of 4 stars. The strong themes of faith, family and love are what carries this story. While I wish the book had a little more polish, it is still an enjoyable read. Anyone who is looking for a pleasant and uplifting story, should give this one a try.
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The Tractor
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