Of Metal and Earth

I just finished Of Metal and Earth early this morning. I loved it. I read it this week and had trouble putting it down. I would go to bed each night and intend to read a few pages, as I normally do, and put it down when I became drowsy. I ended up reading 50-70 pages each night. The general theme of the book, following a car through its owners, is a great idea and is poignant for "car people.” For those of us who have used our car as an escape, gone on drives as a refuge, bonded and made friends of other "car people" this was a touching read. The descriptive writing is impressive. I found myself smiling in appreciation at the use of language to describe moments, things, and situations. I found the characters and their lives relatable. Everyone goes through relationship tension, regrets, family tension, illness, loss and I think the expression of the emotions and reactions of the characters in those situations was realistic and relatable. I loved the Jeep's title change documents between character sections; I found the addition very touching. This book made me think of objects in my life that I share with others and objects that other people share with me, and it made me realize that this is the type of book that I will re-read again.

I have been sadly lacking in completing book reviews over the last year so here I am, trying to catch up.I enjoyed this quite a lot. It's a quick and easy read, but don't mistake that for "simple." The story itself is complex and elegant while simultaneously remaining nicely streamlined. The Jeep is a fully fleshed out character in itself; it's not easy to give such depth to an inanimate object, but the author has managed to do just that. It's clear that the author is well-versed in the world of cars and mechanics and that love shines through brightly.The human characters were all fully developed and captured my emotional interest. I became invested in each one, sometimes becoming sad when the Jeep had to move on to another person, thus cutting my time short with certain characters.The end tidied up all the loose threads into a lovely little package. I won't lie - it made me cry. How did I come to care for a Jeep and its family so much? My emotional investment was solid.While I typically will read almost any genre, I tend to be heavier on sci-fi/fantasy, and I will admit that this contemporary fiction was a refreshing change. I read it in two days. It took me that long because I had to work. :)For anyone that's looking for a heartwarming book to cozy up on the couch with, or maybe sit out on the deck or on the beach and soak it up, this is it. And if you're a car nut, you definitely should check this out.

1964, 4 friends: James, Andrew, Norman, & David had volunteered to go to Quế Sơn Valley, Vietnam.Elk River. James (Vietnam War vet) was the only 1 who came back.Tom (bar owner), & Lily (wife) offered James a place to stay, until he got back on his feet.1967, Tom had his own apartment & a CJ-5 Jeep.Dr. Claire (granddaughter, vet) moved to Elk River, took over the farm & opened up her own vet clinic.James helped her get things done/organized.It wasn’t long & they became an item & later got married.1974, Claire got sick, & was diagnosed with cancer.Catherine (James/Claire’s daughter) would miss her mom.Elmwood (Elk River). Rebecca (MS finance student) had known William “Billy” A. Norman (MS Econ student) for a long time.The 2 of them got to know each other & she moved in with him.They both graduated & were moving to Washington, DC.Olivia “Liv” (mother), had bought Ben (son) William’s old Jeep.Officer Martin (Montgomery County Sheriff’s dept) had called Mark (mechanic shop owner). Ben had been charged with; trespassing. underage drinking, & a DUI.Mark picked Ben up & took him home in the morning.All hell broke loose with he/Oliva.Kate, & Alex had got the 1964, CJ-5 Jeep restored/running. Was it just a summer romance?I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written family heirloom book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great family heirloom movie, or better yet a TV series. There is no doubt in my mind this is a very easy rating of 5 stars.Thank you for the free author; BookSends; Amazon Digital Services LLC.; bookTony Parsons MSW (Washburn)

Not every book deserves a rave but I’m compelled to do so here. From the first sentence your off and running, finding yourself reeling from the realities of war and wondering where do we go from here. As you begin to cozy into the pages, you realize this isn't a book about people who are larger than life but about people who are simply living through the march of time and battling the ripples of what life hands you. Jennifer, satisfyingly evokes the spirit of a jeep who takes you on a beautiful journey rich in character detail with layer upon layer of texture that highlights the trauma and beauty human existence. There is a simple, unforced, controlled elegance to her writing that feels like an electric blanket on low. As for myself, the sign of a good book is when I hesitate to read more than a chapter at a time when nearing the end. I found myself slowly holding onto each moment, each word. I did not want this to end. I did not want to say goodbye to that CJ-5. I enjoyed this book from cover to cover and from here on out, I will be on the lookout for Jennifer M. Lane novels!