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Roots, Branches and Buzz Saws
The title of TP Graf’s book, Roots, Branches and Buzz Saws: More Stories of August Kibler immediately tells you that this isn’t the first introduction to August Kibler. It expands on his life as introduced in As Daisies Bloom. I don’t think it is necessary to have read the previous book to follow this book–and the author himself hopes that is the case.
Roots, Branches and Buzz Saws takes you back to the beginning of August’s life. It shares details of his ancestry, early years and takes you through his life, introducing you to the people he met along the way.
That Tyler discovers the story of August’s life by opening a file after his death made me think about what the story of my life would look like to other people. How would I present events that have happened to me over the years? Is everyone’s life worth reading? After reading this book, I say yes, we all have a story to tell. Here, the author makes it feel at times like we are taking a gentle meander through August’s life, but in fact it deals with some serious issues. We learn about August’s upbringing, how that shaped him, the abuse he faced, his faith and his thoughts on his faith. For me, this book reminded me that we all have our own story to tell and woven within our history we all have lessons to teach, each life is valuable. The characters we meet along the way are well rounded and memorable. I loved the way the author took me from Ohio to Indiana, to Louisiana and North Carolina. The descriptive writing brings the story to life. The book also reminds me that we shouldn’t take the simple things in life for granted, particularly if abuse and discrimination have touched your life just because of who you love. There were a few quotes in the book that stood out to me. My favorite is “Celebrate who you are, even if it is quietly…”. That is what this book is, a celebration of August’s life and a reminder to the reader to celebrate their life, who they are. What a message to impart to readers, and I hope others who read this take that message away with them.
Pages: 213 | ASIN: B08MCGXZ1M