Perfect Silence

Perfect Silence by Jeff Hutton should be savored like a box of Godiva chocolates. Each page bursts into prose so delicious that it is difficult to keep from devouring it in one sitting. His masterful descriptions have you hauling rocks in Virginia farmland, or gazing at the dogwood bloom along the forest edge, "...glorifying the spring sun and wrapping the still dark woods with white and then pink translucent blossoms." Jeff Hutton writes with the soul of a poet, historian, romantic and baseball enthusiast. His Joe Tyler is a wonderful Cooperesque character whose life is forged by his emotions, beliefs and fate.The new game of base ball had stirred Joe's passion to do something more than work the Virginia farm and build stonewalls around it. His father had buried his emotions along with Joseph's mother. During the day he worked alongside his silent father, but whenever their chores were done, young Joe and his friends played ball. His natural talent defined him within his circle of friends.The siren's call of the Civil War lured Joe away, despite his father's objections. He and his buddies joined up but soon became disillusioned with the horror and futility of the war. Their vows to stay together were not to be kept. In what was to be his last battle, Joe awoke to find one of his friends sitting against a stonewall, "with the eyes turned upward, inward."Alone, wounded, he began walking across a meadow, drawn toward flaming woods. He moved deep into the woods then, as the smoke thickened, he turned from it but thought he heard a human voice. "The war had taught Joe to ignore the screams, the groans of wounded and dying men but this time he could not." "...he turned again in the direction of the fire." A Confederate boy lay dying and Joe pulled him from the fire. Their brief encounter would affect Joe forever.This is more than a story about war. It is about one man's life, his courage, love of nature, relationships and search for a future. Though similar to Cold Mountain in the beauty of the prose and time setting, Perfect Silence stands alone.

Perfect Silence by Jeff Hutton should be savored like a box of Godiva chocolates. Each page bursts into prose so delicious that it is difficult not devouring it in one sitting. His masterful descriptions have you hauling rocks in Virginia farmland, or gazing at the first dogwood bloom along the forest edge, "...glorifying the spring sun and wrapping the still dark woods with white and then pink translucent blossoms." Jeff Hutton writes with the soul of a poet, historian, romantic and baseball enthusiast. His Joe Tyler is a wonderful Cooperesque character whose life is forged by his emotions, beliefs and fate.The new game of base ball had stirred Joe's passion to do something more than work the Virginia farm and build stonewalls around it. His father had buried his emotions along with Joseph's mother. During the day he worked alongside his silent father, but whenever their chores were done, young Joe and his friends played ball. His natural talent defined him within his circle of friends.The siren's call of the Civil War lured Joe away, despite his father's objections. He and his buddies joined up but soon became disillusioned with the horror and futility of the war. Their vows to stay together were not to be kept. In what was to be his last battle, Joe awoke to find one of his friends sitting against a stonewall, "with the eyes turned upward, inward."Alone, wounded, he began walking across a meadow, drawn toward flaming woods. He moved deep into the woods. As the smoke thickened, he turned from it but thought he heard a human voice. "The war had taught Joe to ignore the screams, the groans of wounded and dying men but this time he could not." "...he turned again in the direction of the fire." A boy in a Federal shirt lay dying and Joe pulled him from the fire. Their brief encounter would affect Joe forever.This is more than a story about war. It is about one man's life, his courage, love of nature, relationships and search for a future. Though similar to Cold Mountain in the beauty of the prose and time setting, Perfect Silence stands alone.

This book is the story of a boy and a man. The boy is captured in the Wilderness battle of the Civil War after seeing the horrors of battle. He then experiences the hell of internment. He survives by re-examining his youth, his relationship with his parents, mainly his father, and a game of his youth - baseball. Then, he must reflect on the war and adjust to his trauma in order to once again enjoy life.The background of early baseball is a fantastic reminder of the roots of the game. Baseball was played by farmers and factory workers after they had worked 12 to 14 hours a day. Exhausted, they still loved the excitement of playing the game. Baseball is the hero of this book. Anyone who has ever played baseball will enjoy reading this novel.

This a fantastic story of a young man's journey through boyhood into manhood. The characters resonate throughout the book. The combination of baseball the civil war and love makes it a must read for any lover of fiction. The vivid imagery and emotion is reminiscent of Faulkner and Cormac McCarthy.

This is a wonderful first novel for students of the Civil War and lovers of baseball. Through the eyes of a young Virginia man, we see the spread of baseball from the cities in the north to the country farms in the south. We also experience the mass confusion of the battle of the Wilderness from the perspective of the typical young inexperienced soldier. You feel the perfect silence that comes over a meadow just before a battle begins or a bat hits a ball. Things come full circle when the young man grows up to play baseball and the game grows from pleasure to a business. At that point the young man returns home to the Virginia farm. This is a touching well told journey through a life, a war and a bit of history.