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The Valley of Light: A Novel (Kay, Terry)
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The Valley of Light: A Novel (Kay, Terry)
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by Terry Kay
Sales Rank : 96923
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Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: Atria; 1 edition October 1, 2003
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0743475941
ISBN-13: 978-0743475945
Product Dimensions:
9.2 x 6.6 x 0.9 inches
Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
From Publishers Weekly
An enigmatic young man's preternatural gift for fishing changes the fabric of a rural North Carolina village during the post-WWII years in Kay's latest, a dreamy, poignant and richly written novel, marred somewhat by slow pacing. Noah Locke, a quiet, earnest veteran from Georgia, arrives in Bowerton, called by some the Valley of Light, and quickly becomes known for his fishing skills; the welcoming locals promptly invite him to participate in their upcoming fishing contest. He settles in, earning his keep as a housepainter, and soon meets Eleanor Cunningham, a comely young widow whose husband died, an apparent suicide, after coming home from the war. Their romance develops hesitantly, largely due to Noah's shyness, and while Kay pens some lovely scenes of rural life, the narrative doesn't move much faster. Before the contest commences, a young boy whom Noah had befriended goes missing and, after several agonizing days, Noah finds the body. He realizes that the boy died trying to catch a legendary fish that Noah himself had been chasing, after hearing about it from a benevolent but mysterious old man. Kay's lush descriptions form a shimmering backdrop to his gracefully drawn protagonists, but the romance is somewhat predictable, and the fishing subplot-the search for a mythic bass-does not fully sustain narrative tension. Kay (To Dance with a White Dog) comes close to generating suspense in the chapters describing the questionable conduct of Eleanor's husband following the war, but it's too bad there isn't a more compelling plot to anchor the graceful writing.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Shortly after World War II, returning veteran Noah Locke begins wandering the South, looking for something. Noah is illiterate and, frankly, not very intelligent. But he's good-natured and knows how to talk to people. He is also a mystically gifted fisherman, capable of catching strings of catfish in ponds others swear have long been dry. When an old man tells him about a town known as the Valley of Light and its annual fishing contest, Noah decides to visit. Once there, Noah quickly becomes part of the small town's life and secrets. He is especially drawn to a young widow whose husband may or may not have killed himself after returning from World War II. The townsfolk are universally kind to Noah--which, unfortunately, leaves the book without much dramatic tension. When tragedy strikes the town, Noah is inspired to head back to his hometown and reconnect with his jailed brother. A supernatural moment at the end of the novel reveals a perhaps divine plot behind Noah's travels. The book is full of biblical allusions, some of which are somewhat hard to unravel. But it is a nice, calm read, perfect for a day spent fishing, and fans of the author's previous best-sellers, Shadow Song (1994) and To Dance with the White Dog (1990), will appreciate it. Marta Segal
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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