Silence and Shadows

by James Long

Book Overview

Patrick Kane is a man haunted by his past. Bobby Redhead, a woman who stumbles into the path of his car, is a mysterious part of that past. They have come together at an archaeological dig in the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0553108638
• ISBN13: 9780553108637
• Release Date: February 2001
• Publisher: Bantam Books
• Length: 322 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.5" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

Small Scope; Beautifully Fashioned

Like "Ferney", James Long's earlier novel of reincarnation, "Silence and Shadows" moves in murky waters initially, making it difficult for the reader to engage in the characters and their motivations until the actual plotline picks up around three chapters into the story and the reader begins to feel the cadence of the story. What ensues is well worth the wait as Long's prose and ability to get the audience to see and experience through the character's eyes eventually hits the sweet spot between reality and fantasy under Long's unique and masterful guidance. Patrick Kane, once a high profile rock star has committed the ultimate personal crime and must come to an almost karmic reconciliation. Repulsed by the rock scene and the exploiters who used him, he takes an uneasy comfort in reviving his goal from his university days to research relics on an archaeological site. He procures a job in the rural village of Wytchlow that is as far away from the stage as he can get. Or so he thinks. Despite a haircut and a subdued demeanor, the wild boy rock star persona he left behind meets with an immediate recognition that drags Patrick back to his past whether he likes it or not. Precipitated by a woman that resembles the most bittersweet skeleton in his closet, his emotions rush to the surface in a mixture of despair and violence that he cannot contain. When a wily television producer wishes to film the dig and use Patrick as its commercial centerpiece, more angst heaps onto a burn pile already soaked with the gasoline of regret, twisted dreams and irreversible mistakes. Ironically, solace meanders in from the most unlikely and for Patrick distasteful source. As much as Patrick shuns the very idea of music on a public platform, he finds the simple storytelling words of a folksong sang in a pub after the workday strangely soothing. As relayed by the mysterious Joe, who sings but otherwise cannot speak, the verses serve as clues to not only the discovery of the burial chamber of seventh century a Saxon woman known as the German Queen but her unique history that is irrevocably linked to current business in the village and its occupants. Not exactly science fiction, "Silence and Shadows," like "Ferney," defies genre classification although it contains elements of the fantastic that hyperlink the entire reading experience to a level of intimacy not unlike that found in the novels of Graham Joyce (The Limits of Enchantment, The Tooth Fairy: A Novel, Requiem). Employing beautifully lyrical descriptions, Long has a knack for painting a mind-searing vision of place as well as allowing his characters to speak from the heart using both dialogue and third person narrative that provide a fully rounded 360 degree psychological portrait of each of his players from both the past, near and far, and the present. One gets an uncanny sense of the village as examined through the opposite end of a telescope--the current time's traditions tie into an older and seemin

Real Life Archeology Information Weaved Into Novel

I thought this book was fascinating for several reasons. The main character is a reformed rock and roll star who blames himself for a loss from which he still suffers. He has returned to his previous profession, that of an archeologist, and is asked to do a dig that turns out to be more than what he bargained for. There is a wonderful yet painful love affair that develops from this dig along with wonderful tidbits about a time long past. I highly recommend this book.

A special romantic drama

Before the modern developers bulldoze the area, a team assembles to insure no ancient relics are buried under the earth near the English village of Wytchlow. Heading up the archeological dig is Patrick Kane a brilliant individual haunted by personal ghosts buried in a Welsh graveyard. The rest of his team is very diversified, but each one carries their peculiar baggage. Of particular interest to Patrick is local villager Bobby Redhead, who looks like a thirty-something version of his beloved Rachel, that is if the latter had lived another decade rather than died at nineteen. The dig centers on Roman ruins, but Patrick finds the Saxon legend of the "German Queen" more interesting. Meanwhile Bobby is attracted to the dig's leader. She focuses her attentions on Patrick who retreats within his shell every time she boldly steps towards him. As they get closer to finding the lost Saxon treasure, Patrick knows he found his own valuable treasure if he can move past his own tragic past and reach out for her. SILENCE AND SHADOWS is an interesting romantic tale that blends legends and archeology into a fantastic love story. The tale never misses a beat as readers come to know the key players including several secondary cast members like Bobby's brother, several other villagers, and a land developer, etc. The lead couple adds to the legends as both differently struggle with their pasts seeking each other for the future. James Long has written a rich tale that will bring him many accolades from fans and critics.Harriet Klausner