Flat Water Tuesday

Crew. Certain events transform lives. Novelists can present that transformation with skill or in a clumsy way. In his debut novel, Flat Water Tuesday, Ron Irwin uses great skill to present an engaging story that had me hooked from beginning to end. Set primarily in two time periods, the second senior high school year of protagonist Rob Carrey, and fifteen years later, the action in the novel involves the sport of crew, and the discipline and teamwork required to succeed. Working-class Rob was recruited to a prestigious prep school because of his strong performance rowing a skull. His life became transformed by what happened during that year. Irwin presents a fine cast of well-developed complex characters, especially two strong women in Rob’s life. The glitches one expects in a debut novel are present, but I was not distracted by them because the power of the story propelled me to remain engaged. Readers who like coming of age novels and are willing to take a chance on a first time novelist should consider reading this book. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Flat Water Tuesday from amazon.com.