Review of McDowell

[Jan Mayack]

[Following is a volunteer review of "McDowell" by William H. Coles.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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Hiram McDowell’s life goes through many difficulties in this interesting story about a wealthy, intellectual, entitled man and how he perceived himself, as well as how he perceived people he considered less than himself. It is a story about discovering yourself and learning how to be better as a human being. It is about listening to other people’s stories and learning something about human nature from each story. It is about how your life can, and might, change when you accept that you are not the person that you have convinced yourself you are, and that people can change for the better.

As the story winds through his marriages, mistresses, philanthropy and misuse of his power and wealth, you learn how Hiram neglects his family, uses his influence to gain more power and wealth, puts his own needs and wants before all else and then ultimately falls to the lowest points in his life where he begins to realize who he was and searches for ways to remedy that sad realization. He is taken through situations and encounters with varying types of people and learning why they think the way they do or act the way they do. He learns about real people in real life.

William H. Coles, the author, brings in many characters, some that probably were not necessary in my opinion, but he develops different relationships between Hiram and all of the people who play a part in his life, including his wife, his mistress, his children and the people he comes in contact with after his former life falls apart. Each new character brings something Hiram can learn from and take with him as he travels this new life he has been thrust into and while he attempts to write his memoir and have it published with help from his daughter and a former acquaintance who he is not sure he can trust.

There is some sexual content and profanity in the book but I was not offended or upset by it and it was not explicit.

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McDowell
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