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Wednesday, November 09, 2005



Gary Braunbeck's Keepers

As I said before, I rarely give book reviews simply because I don't feel comfortable judging other authors' works publicly. (Also, I'm not very good at them.) Even so, when I come across a book that has left me wanting more, I will gladly pass on the word. This is the case with Gary Braubeck's Keepers, a compelling tale that sets the Genesis version of creation on its rear and questions the tenet that man was meant to be the principal creature on earth.

I have to premise this review by divulging that I consider Gary a mentor and friend. But this fact in no way colors my opinion of his book. If I had not liked it, I simply would have kept mum.

The story begins with Gil Stewart, who with a friend, is driving home from the successful opening of his second specialty store. On a congested highway, they spot an elderly man in a bowler hat standing along the periphery. After a bizarre sequence of events, the old man ends up dying in Gil's arms after being hit by a truck. But before he dies he whispers to Gil: "The Keepers are coming!"

Hovering near the outskirts of the accident are two huge bull mastiffs whom Gil could have sworn were chasing the elderly gentleman. They seem oddly satisfied at the man's death and disappear back into the surrounding woodland, but not before giving Gil a chilling look.

From that fateful moment on the highway, Gil's day progressively worsens as he goes home to find a badly wounded and dying dog has taken shelter beneath the crawlspace of his house. Even as Gil tries to help the dog, he receives a phone call that his mentally-challenged nephew is missing from the nearby state home. As he prepares to track down his nephew, a package arrives with lost items from his youth, items that could have only been sent by one person: Beth, the young love who mysteriously disappeared from his life decades ago.

Reeling from the news of his nephew and the possibility that Beth is still alive somewhere, Gil's trek in the next hours becomes more nightmarish as he encounters the deadly mastiffs again, and as events force him to face memories that he had suppressed, memories that include the deaths and disappearances of nearly eveyone he has loved in life. The memories also tell him that he has heard of the Keepers before - and that they are indeed coming for him.

In the epiphany forced on him, Gil discovers that certain myths are actually hidden truths, that there is always a place for the lost and forlorn, that at one time in the universe, God "blinked," allowing creation to go off course. With each discovery, Gil slowly realizes that he will have to fight to maintain his humanity or at least die trying. And in the end, he will find the love he thought he lost so many years ago.

Gary Braunbeck's story is evocative and rich with mythical imagery, and the writing is both lyrical and gripping. Keepers is one of his best works to date.

Sharon Cullars Coffee Talk at 11/09/2005 10:07:00 AM Permanent Link     | | Home

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