Review by JinBin -- The Sojourners by T. L. Hughes
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Review by JinBin -- The Sojourners by T. L. Hughes
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Sojourners" by T. L. Hughes.]
Sojourners by T.L. Hughes is a heartwarming coming-of-age novel set in the 80’s about life, love, loss, adventures, and finding your own way in the world the best way you know how - one day at a time. The novel follows three American friends in their early 20s, Mike, Luke, and Declan, as they travel to London in search of jobs and the whole thing is narrated by Mike. They are very quickly disappointed by the lack of opportunity that awaits them there but just as quickly, the three friends find a different kind of opportunity when they make the spontaneous decision to travel Europe instead with the little money they have left before returning to America. Each of them has their own motives. Mike is fleeing from heartache and a lost love, Colette, trying to find himself. Declan is searching for long lost relatives that supposedly reside in Ireland. Luke just wants to forget their disappointment and keep the party going. At a point about halfway into the story, these three friends split to go off in their own directions in the hopes of reuniting at the end of their journey.
Along the way, they meet many interesting and unique characters that pull them into all sorts of wild situations and shenanigans. At some points, events get so intense that it’s impossible to put the book down until the issue is resolved. Nearly every subject matter is touched upon at least once. Sojourners touches on the subject of religion, philosophy, science, politics, the state of the world as it was when the book is set and what it could mean for the future, and everything else under the sun in a way that gets you thinking. In between chapters, there are poems that are elegantly styled to summarize the events that have just happened in the previous chapter in an interesting way. Music is also used throughout the book during different events to symbolize the atmosphere and how Mike is feeling in the present moment, which is probably one of my favorite things about the book. Sojourners wraps up with a profound definition of the term for someone who is on a journey. We are all on our own journeys and this novel touched on many journeys, one man’s journey to inner peace in the midst of them all.
I think what I like most about Sojourners is how elegantly detailed it is. Mike, the narrator, takes in all his surroundings during his travels and leaves nothing out when describing what he sees and experiences so it feels like you're actually there with him. Even the similes and metaphors he uses to describe mundane objects gives them a unique twist. Also, every situation he gets himself into digs up a little more information about his past so by the end of the novel, it feels like you’ve known him for years. Past meets present to unravel a thought provoking and altogether intense story of finding your way in the world. Even though he’s late to realize it, it’s clear that the real journey for Mike is just finding himself and his inner peace, no longer following in the footsteps of his two friends. It’s time for him to make his own path.
If you’re someone like me who is also continuing to struggle with your persona and who you are as a person, this book is perfect for you. However, if you don’t like the kinds of books that just follow the main character’s life with plots that don’t seem to have any point to them (until it all starts coming together at the end), I would not recommend this book for you. I have to say, though, the only thing I did not like about this book was the “lost love” trope that kept popping up at the most inopportune times. I understand that it was used as one way to explain why Mike would decide to spontaneously travel Europe, but I never felt like it fit well into the story. It’s kind of like that one annoying person that isn’t really your friend but always shoves their way into your activities anyway. Pining and whining over Colette in random bursts amid partying and flirting with girls in Europe was just awkward and wrong in my opinion. He should have ended up with the girl he met on his travels.
My rating for this book is a strong 3 out of 4. There were only a few minor errors in grammar and punctuation unless you count the excessive use of semicolons which I learned to look past since it wasn’t technically the wrong use of them. Normally, I wouldn’t have chosen this kind of book to read but the description I read piqued my interest and I couldn’t resist. I am happy to say I wasn’t disappointed overall with my experience except for that Colette girl. I ended this book with a bigger picture of what life is all about and isn’t that something that everyone is looking for.
******
The Sojourners
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Sojourners by T.L. Hughes is a heartwarming coming-of-age novel set in the 80’s about life, love, loss, adventures, and finding your own way in the world the best way you know how - one day at a time. The novel follows three American friends in their early 20s, Mike, Luke, and Declan, as they travel to London in search of jobs and the whole thing is narrated by Mike. They are very quickly disappointed by the lack of opportunity that awaits them there but just as quickly, the three friends find a different kind of opportunity when they make the spontaneous decision to travel Europe instead with the little money they have left before returning to America. Each of them has their own motives. Mike is fleeing from heartache and a lost love, Colette, trying to find himself. Declan is searching for long lost relatives that supposedly reside in Ireland. Luke just wants to forget their disappointment and keep the party going. At a point about halfway into the story, these three friends split to go off in their own directions in the hopes of reuniting at the end of their journey.
Along the way, they meet many interesting and unique characters that pull them into all sorts of wild situations and shenanigans. At some points, events get so intense that it’s impossible to put the book down until the issue is resolved. Nearly every subject matter is touched upon at least once. Sojourners touches on the subject of religion, philosophy, science, politics, the state of the world as it was when the book is set and what it could mean for the future, and everything else under the sun in a way that gets you thinking. In between chapters, there are poems that are elegantly styled to summarize the events that have just happened in the previous chapter in an interesting way. Music is also used throughout the book during different events to symbolize the atmosphere and how Mike is feeling in the present moment, which is probably one of my favorite things about the book. Sojourners wraps up with a profound definition of the term for someone who is on a journey. We are all on our own journeys and this novel touched on many journeys, one man’s journey to inner peace in the midst of them all.
I think what I like most about Sojourners is how elegantly detailed it is. Mike, the narrator, takes in all his surroundings during his travels and leaves nothing out when describing what he sees and experiences so it feels like you're actually there with him. Even the similes and metaphors he uses to describe mundane objects gives them a unique twist. Also, every situation he gets himself into digs up a little more information about his past so by the end of the novel, it feels like you’ve known him for years. Past meets present to unravel a thought provoking and altogether intense story of finding your way in the world. Even though he’s late to realize it, it’s clear that the real journey for Mike is just finding himself and his inner peace, no longer following in the footsteps of his two friends. It’s time for him to make his own path.
If you’re someone like me who is also continuing to struggle with your persona and who you are as a person, this book is perfect for you. However, if you don’t like the kinds of books that just follow the main character’s life with plots that don’t seem to have any point to them (until it all starts coming together at the end), I would not recommend this book for you. I have to say, though, the only thing I did not like about this book was the “lost love” trope that kept popping up at the most inopportune times. I understand that it was used as one way to explain why Mike would decide to spontaneously travel Europe, but I never felt like it fit well into the story. It’s kind of like that one annoying person that isn’t really your friend but always shoves their way into your activities anyway. Pining and whining over Colette in random bursts amid partying and flirting with girls in Europe was just awkward and wrong in my opinion. He should have ended up with the girl he met on his travels.
My rating for this book is a strong 3 out of 4. There were only a few minor errors in grammar and punctuation unless you count the excessive use of semicolons which I learned to look past since it wasn’t technically the wrong use of them. Normally, I wouldn’t have chosen this kind of book to read but the description I read piqued my interest and I couldn’t resist. I am happy to say I wasn’t disappointed overall with my experience except for that Colette girl. I ended this book with a bigger picture of what life is all about and isn’t that something that everyone is looking for.
******
The Sojourners
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
"The things in life worth living cannot be thought [with the mind]; they must be felt [with the heart]."
Latest Review: Timewise by Robert Leet
