Debut Novel Keeps Interest
Young Oklahoma writer Patrick Chalfant makes his debut with “When the Levee Breaks” (Hawk Publishing, $17.95). The novel can be read as an initiation story, a story of a young man’s look at rural America, or a story of the challenges of ranching.
But most valuable is how the novel gives readers a look at what goes on in the mind of an adolescent as he observes his father, family and community experiences. The story is told through Hadley Carlyle, oldest son of Alec. Using a first-person narrator, Chalfant gives the reader a dual perspective – one of the narrator and the other of everyone with whom the narrator comes into contact.
The story’s focus is on Alec as he tries to weather challenges in trying to run a successful ranching business. Unfortunately, the town is run by an unscrupulous banker, Al Finken, who delights in foreclosing on the financial failures of the misfortunate. Alec is a proud man who comes from a wealthy background. Having enjoyed the benefits of wealth, his experiences with financial loss are extremely challenging.
Readers learn something about each member of the family – which also includes Alec’s wife, a daughter and another son – as the story progresses. Extended family members are also introduced at special times.
The rural community is important to the story in that it influences each member of the Carlyle family. We see those relationships through Hadley’s eyes. He evaluates the various attitudes manifested by the community relative to politics, the economy and other social issues. Readers get a close-up view of rural life. The novel’s episodic format keeps the reader’s interest. Although the story is engaging, it does not include vulgar language, graphic violence or explicit sex. Chalfant proves a novel can be dramatic, mysterious, suspenseful and humorous without crossing lines of decency.
“When the Levee Breaks” is an excellent contribution of fiction from an Oklahoman. Oklahoma readers will find much here that is familiar.
Paul Lehman, The Oklahoman
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