Under Cottonwoods: A Novel

by Stephen Grace

Under Cottonwoods is a lyrical novel of two Wyoming friends who are drawn together by their love of fly fishing and the outdoors. Walter is a handsome young man whose face and brain are scarred as a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1592281656
• Release Date: January 2003
• Publisher: Lyons Pr
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.8" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

Nature and Life

Under Cottonwoods is a story which captures the reader's heart as the relationship among the major characters develops. Through vivid, beautiful and unique use of words, Stephen Grace describes nature with its intricacies and extremities and life with its tragedies, mountain-top experiences and variety of interactions. Major life lessons can be extracted from the poetic words of the book. This is a novel which exposes the richness of the environment and the power of caring individuals as they grow and mature.

Under Cottonwoods Feeds the Soul

Under Cottonwoods is an amazing tale of friendship set against the beautifully described backdrop of the Wyoming landscape. Stephen Grace paints pictures with his words so vividly you can see the people and places come to life. The story compels you to turn each page as through Mike and Walter we see our selves, our family, our friends. Walter is more like you and I than he is different and this is the beauty of this book. Under Cottonwoods is enthralling as novel that also holds great promise as a catalyst for social change by clearly depicting Walter as a person first and his disability second. It is through our human commonalities that community is built. Under Cottonwoods weaves the thread of humanity that connects us all.

Soul Soothing, Heart Warming and Eye Opening

I received this book from a wonderful friend who shares my compassion for people with disabilities, as well as good reading material. Two days after receiving the book there was a major ice storm in my area, no power and no water for 3.5 days. I spent those days (with other new books sitting on a table) in front of a fireplace wrapped in a blanket with a clip on booklight totally swept into this story. The story itself and the compassion and sharing of and through diversities is so well written. It was all I could do to make myself go to bed in a house that was 40 degrees inside because I so wanted to read more and this story was what warmed me to my soul. We can all learn from others, no matter their outward appearance. And the story, but for the grace of God, could be any one of us. What wonderful heartfelt insight the author has. This is a book for EVERYONE. Thanks Mr. Grace for a great book! And thanks to my life friend, Merv, for sending it to me! This will be one of the few things that will allow me to look back at my travel to Wyoming and feel positive for having been there for six months of my life. I look forward to more from Stephen Grace.

The Grace of Being Under Cottonwoods

Under Cottonwoods is a free flowing adventure of emotion and self discovery. At first glance this novel appears to be an easy read, and in that respect it does not disappoint. However, the complexity of Under Cottonwoods can be best described as a deep flowing river. There is the blatant and obvious surface story of Mike and Walter's interaction, and then there are deeper implied undercurrents of storyline that move along and drive the men's relationship. At times the novel elicited laughter-at other times I was moved to the point of tears. Grace has managed to take two broken men and drive them through a life of extraordinary simplicity. Mike and Walter are more than characters. They are both the story and the plot. Mike and Walter, and thus the story, flow from one interaction to the next. Grace's first published effort is a delightful exercise in character development.Told through the eyes of Mike, Under Cottonwoods follows two men as they come to terms with the lives they lead. Mike is an emotionally crippled man struggling with his marriage, while Walter battles with his very existence and the memory of what he used to be. Mike and Walter are close friends, not as a result of their individual handicaps, but because of them. Grace does an excellent job of using the characters and their flaws as a vehicle for which to drive the plot. "I wasn't trying to kill myself, I was just trying to live." Through Walter's simple statement, Grace is attempting to define the point in life when nothing matters except the here and now. Walter's simple mental handicap is brought on by a childhood tragedy, while Mike's is an emotional scar brought on by his own inability to deal with reality. In some ways Mike is more of a cripple than Walter. More than anything else in life, our decisions shape who we are. This is the premise behind Stephen Grace's first novel Under Cottonwoods. Grace uses two broken men, a three legged dog, and a small vibrant cast of characters to illustrate this point. Overall Under Cottonwoods is a poignant story about life and the unexpected turns experienced in an otherwise expected life.

Characters you can't get enough of, vivid settings

I stayed up all night to finish this book, then I wished it could go forever. Walter and Mike are wonderful characters, and their story takes place in beautiful settings, vividly described by the author. A friendship that begins with flyfishing deepens and strengthens as both men struggle and travel through life. It's funny, it's sad, it feels utterly true. This book is a real delight.