Available at your local independent bookstore, and the usual online suspects
"Geyer is a master of description, both of the immediate environment and of the characters he so richly draws. . . . [A] fascinating and thoroughly enjoyable saga.” Ken Malavos, author of One Night in Amboise “Geyer’s writing style is flowing and assured, with an excellent use of descriptive language, and his characterisation is very strong. I felt as if I came to know these people and to care what happened to them. . . . I am looking forward very much to seeing how his work develops in the future. Recommended.” Fiction Fan’s Book Review “Geyer pursues the long and winding road associated with affairs of the heart . . . Read this book, if for no other reason than to remind yourself that ‘having it all’ isn’t always the recipe for happiness.” Richard Polsky, author of I Bought Andy Warhol |
“Following his father’s death, Patrick Munchen finds a bundle of letters among his papers, from a girl he knew in Lyme Regis while he was stationed there in advance of the Normandy landings. His curiosity aroused, Patrick sets out to find if the woman is still alive – a journey that will take him from his home in California first to England and then to Ireland, and will lead him to reassess his own life as he discovers more about his father’s. * *. * Geyer’s depictions of modern and wartime Lyme Regis are excellent * * *. He shows us these men, knowing that they were about to be thrown into the hell of war, living through this hiatus with a mixture of courage, comradeship and fear. And I found the relationship that grew up between Patrick’s father and [his correspondent, Molly Bowditch] just as believable – a kind of reaching for human contact at a time when the future was uncertain and fragile. When the story moves to Ireland, the setting is just as authentic. Geyer avoids the pitfalls of “Oirishness” – a trap too many American (and other) authors fall into of making Ireland seem quaint and twee and a little fey, populated by characters so eccentric one has to wonder if they’re half-leprechaun. Geyer’s Ireland is the real modern country of his time setting of 2005: revolutionised economically as the Celtic Tiger, advanced technologically and culturally, highly educated. This really shouldn’t be refreshing, but it is – hugely! He catches the distinctive Irish speech patterns and rhythms well but subtly, never over-playing his hand. And his descriptive writing gives a real sense of the lovely ruggedness of the landscape, together with a feel for the harder, poorer past from which Ireland had so recently emerged. In essence, this is a quiet, reflective book concentrating on one man’s journey, physically across the world, and emotionally from his past towards his future. But we also come to know and care about the people he knows and cares about. There are no villains here, nor heroes – just flawed humans doing their best to understand themselves and each other and make connections as they navigate their lives. Excellent characterisation, three distinct and well-drawn settings, lovely writing and an interesting story – great stuff!” - Fiction Fan’s Book Reviews "Matthew Geyer's recent release, Atlantic View, displays his gifts for storytelling with a world view — while maintaining his West Coast sensibility. He deftly weaves a tale that spans decades — from World War II through the Obama years — with great visceral appeal. Sometimes you feel like you're sharing barstools with a soldier during the war, hoisting a pint in a country pub in Dorsett. Other times you're ensconced with the protagonist enjoying his morning coffee in Sausalito . . . Ultimately, this is a book about relationships that can be sticky at times, but ultimately satisfying — just like all of ours. I recommend Atlantic View if you're looking for a satisfying read that makes you think a little and reflect on your family's history — and how it becomes your history, too.” Richard Polsky, author of I Sold Andy Warhol (Too Soon)
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