Being with Henry

Martha Brooks has done it again. She writes real books about characters who are real, substantial and who have hearts that cry and sometimes laugh. Authors who give us life as it is, messy, but don't wallow in bitterness, despair or the shock value of absent values, these are the authors who give us books that are worthwhile. This is a stunning story about loss and love, about a lost and lonely teenager, and about a lonely, but not so lost, old man who find one another. The twist at the end is sweet, and yet keeps from being sappy. Highly recommended for teen readers and their parents. Like all great books this is a grand book for any age.

Laker lives with his mother, who had him when she was a teenager. In fact,he was named for the basketball team. She does her best to raise him, although he is at times the grown up in the relationship and she the child. She goes through an assortment of boyfriends and finally marries one she says will be good to them. As part of the marriage Laker must move with them and give up his job babysitting for a family he has become a part of. His new step father hassles him about getting work and their clashes soon lead to violence. With that Laker leaves home. Eventually he is taken in by 83 year old Henry, against the better judgement of his daughter who wants to institutionalize her father. Henry gives Laker shelter in exchange for doing yard work. The two develop a bond and serve each other with strength and support when necessary. Only at the end of the book does the reader get lost. All of a sudden, like magic, Henry is able to help Laker gain information about his real father and fill in the missing parts of his past. The characters are believable and likeable but the fanciful ending is hard to swallow. Books with real male bonding are hard to come by and this one does it well, if only it can find the right readers.