4 out of 4 stars
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Not every new beginning happens willingly. Sometimes, a new beginning is one you’re forced into. You can whine about it. You can cry about it. You could even think that it’s all a bad dream and keep pinching yourself until you wake up from it. Maybe you’ll be like Tessa Kingsley and put your “big person underwear” on, take a deep breath and walk the road to see where the new beginning will take you. In Wanda Dehaven Pyle’s The Steel Canyon Legacy, we witness the struggles and successes of a recently widowed mother working hard to take care of her family. With the past threatening to destroy her and the future uncertain, Tessa must do whatever she can to protect her family. Even if the world she lives in, seems hell bent on working against her.
Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect by just reading the title. So, I ignored the title and dove right into the book to see what I was getting myself into. I must say…I was pleasantly surprised and happy that I chose to review this book. Set in the Midwest, during the 1970s, the author not only give background history that is so rich in detail, but describes landscapes and scenery that are so magnificent, readers will feel like they’re actually there! Now all of this was just the little details. I only hoped that she wouldn’t let me down with the plot…and she didn’t.
There’s two things that I pay attention to the absolute most when reading a book. I pay close attention to the plot and how it is structured. The second thing I obsess over, is how characters develop over time. With the plot, the structure was clear and there wasn’t a single scene in the book that didn’t contribute to the overall story. Let me explain, the author really did some high-level work with this book. Most authors, get stuck in the middle of the plot and began to write anything just to have pages in the book. Wanda Dehaven Pyle, did no such thing in her book. Every scene, every moment in the book, played an important part and had a significant impact on the end of the story. Trust me, the plot is so well written and thought out that you’ll find yourself completely invested in the story. When I pulled out my wallet, thinking that I was going to loan a fictional character some money as support, I knew I was too invested.
Speaking of characters, even more than the plot, these fictional individuals will win you over completely. Tessa is forced to start over with her family and we witness her character develop as she assumes the role of the head of the household. She lives in a world where men still have the old notion that women should be at home and not in the workforce. In the workforce, she has to deal with discrimination and sexual harassment. It’s amazing to see her character’s journey as we watch her lick her wounds and then get back up again. There are other noteworthy characters as well, but my favorite was Tessa’s oldest son, Christopher Kingsley. He starts out as the 1970s version of Holden Caulfield. He distrusts adults and believes the whole world to be corrupt. The author is a genius at character development. She knows how to slowly and steadily grow her characters. As readers, we get to proudly observe their growth. Seriously, Christopher became my fictional child and I sobbed like a proud momma at his character’s growth.
This is the first time I’ve ever written this….I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. The details were rich, the plot was well structured, the characters were well developed and I was completely invested. This book hit four points, so it deserves these four stars. The only negative that I can give, is that the format of some the words in the paragraphs were a little off.I assumed it was because I was reading a PDF version of it. So this is a negative I won't hold against the author. I would recommend this novel to any reader who love reading about a strong female protagonist. I usually always have something sarcastic or smart to say at the end, but I’m running a blank I on this one. I suppose, I simply really enjoyed this book and I can’t wait to read more of what this author has to offer!
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The Steel Canyon Legacy
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