GIVEAWAY ENDED
TO BE SUNG UNDERWATER
TO BE SUNG UNDERWATER
BY TOM McNEAL
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Judith Whitman always believed in the kind of love that "picks you up in Akron and sets you down in Rio." Long ago, she once experienced that love. Willy Blunt was a carpenter with a dry wit and a steadfast sense of honor. Marrying him seemed like a natural thing to promise. But Willy Blunt was not a person you could pick up in Nebraska and transport to Stanford. When Judith left home, she didn't look back.
Twenty years later, Judith's marriage is hazy with secrets. In her hand is what may be the phone number for the man who believed she meant it when she said she loved him. If she called, what would he say?
TO BE SUNG UNDERWATER is the epic love story of a woman trying to remember, and the man who could not even begin to forget.
Twenty years later, Judith's marriage is hazy with secrets. In her hand is what may be the phone number for the man who believed she meant it when she said she loved him. If she called, what would he say?
TO BE SUNG UNDERWATER is the epic love story of a woman trying to remember, and the man who could not even begin to forget.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Tom McNeal was born in Santa Ana, California, where his father and grandfather raised oranges. He spent part of every summer at the Nebraska farm where his mother was born and raised, and after earning a BA in English at UC Berkeley and an MFA in Creative Writing at UC Irvine, he taught school in the town that was the inspiration for his first novel, Goodnight, Nebraska. Tom has been a Wallace Stegner Fellow and a Jones Lecturer at Stanford University, and his short stories have been widely anthologized. To find out more about Tom McNeal and his writing and life, visit his website HERE.
GUEST REVIEW -TO BE SUNG UNDERWATER:
...Reviewed by Steve Capell
The protagonist Judith is a forty four year old woman who is married to Malcolm. Judith has this belief that Malcolm is having an affair and she absolutely is obsessed with finding out with whom. Through flashbacks the reader finds out that twenty seven years ago Judith fell in love with a carpenter named Willy Blunt. Willy was Judith’s first love; however, things in her life caused the two of them to drift away. Judith now finds herself confronted by husband who she believes is cheating and by memories of Willy. She now wonders if she could maybe find Willy and if she does find her first love once again … then what?
I will say up front that I am not huge fan of novels that use flashbacks. The main reason is that I have read so many novels where the author brought me into the story and captured my attention and then threw in a flashback without any transition or warning. The results are like driving fifty-five miles an hour into a brick wall. This novel is full of flashbacks; however, McNeal handled the flashbacks in a brilliant effective way that allowed me to keep focus on the present life of Judith and also her life as growing up as child and maturing as an adult. The way that this author transitioned to a flashback was only after a strong scene and right at a climax. This writing style allowed the story to flow and kept me interested, intrigued, and craving for more.
McNeal beautifully paints the Nebraska landscape and eloquently develops the characters with all their human flaws. I felt I was “the fly on the wall” scene after scene as this novel unfolded and gave life to this epic love story. The novel is four hundred plus pages long – every page brilliantly written. The ending has a real twist that I didn’t see coming. I am giving this novel a 4 rating out of 5.
Here are a couple of writing examples that are absolutely brilliant from this novel.
“You know what marriage is like? Judith said nothing – these questions had become as stifling to her as knock knock jokes – but her mother went on anyway. It’s like picking the place you’re going to live for the next fifty years by using a wall map, a blindfold, and what you really, truly, deeply believe is your lucky dart.” Page 21
“I think of a cover of a book as a door to another world … but other times I think of it as an escape hatch from this one.” Page 52
Who should read this novel?
Readers who love to read love stories will find this novel as a must read. If you like to read novels that have good character development you will fall in love with this novel. Finally, if you ever wanted to be “the fly on wall” – this novel will give you a home with no fly swatters in the house.
I will say up front that I am not huge fan of novels that use flashbacks. The main reason is that I have read so many novels where the author brought me into the story and captured my attention and then threw in a flashback without any transition or warning. The results are like driving fifty-five miles an hour into a brick wall. This novel is full of flashbacks; however, McNeal handled the flashbacks in a brilliant effective way that allowed me to keep focus on the present life of Judith and also her life as growing up as child and maturing as an adult. The way that this author transitioned to a flashback was only after a strong scene and right at a climax. This writing style allowed the story to flow and kept me interested, intrigued, and craving for more.
McNeal beautifully paints the Nebraska landscape and eloquently develops the characters with all their human flaws. I felt I was “the fly on the wall” scene after scene as this novel unfolded and gave life to this epic love story. The novel is four hundred plus pages long – every page brilliantly written. The ending has a real twist that I didn’t see coming. I am giving this novel a 4 rating out of 5.
Here are a couple of writing examples that are absolutely brilliant from this novel.
“You know what marriage is like? Judith said nothing – these questions had become as stifling to her as knock knock jokes – but her mother went on anyway. It’s like picking the place you’re going to live for the next fifty years by using a wall map, a blindfold, and what you really, truly, deeply believe is your lucky dart.” Page 21
“I think of a cover of a book as a door to another world … but other times I think of it as an escape hatch from this one.” Page 52
Who should read this novel?
Readers who love to read love stories will find this novel as a must read. If you like to read novels that have good character development you will fall in love with this novel. Finally, if you ever wanted to be “the fly on wall” – this novel will give you a home with no fly swatters in the house.
Thanks to Steve Capell for another wonderful Guest Review.
Steve is married to his lovely wife for 36 years now and they have grown children but their time is now spent with their two Chihuahuas. Steve's most recent review for BOOKIN' WITH BINGO prior to this one was for VACLAV AND LENA in case you missed it. Steve's first Guest Review for me was A TIME FOR PATRIOTS and you can go THERE to read more about that book and also about this good friend and wonderful reviewer!
Thank you SO MUCH, Steve!
GIVEAWAY
THANKS TO ANNA AND THE GOOD
FOLKS AT LITTLE, BROWN AT HACHETTE
BOOK GROUP, I HAVE TWO COPIES OF THIS
WONDERFUL NOVEL TO GIVE AWAY
--U.S. AND CANADIAN RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES
---INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
IN CASE YOU WIN!
--ALL COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE TO
COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE!
HOW TO ENTER:
+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FIND INTERESTING WHEN YOU VISIT AUTHOR TOM McNEAL'S WEBSITE HERE
+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG AND/OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND COME BACK HERE AND LEAVE ME YOUR LINK
+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON WAY THAT YOU FOLLOW MY BLOG. IF YOU FOLLOW MORE THAN ONE WAY, COMMENT ON EACH WAY SEPARATELY.
GIVEAWAY ENDS AT
6 PM, EST, JUNE 24
--U.S. AND CANADIAN RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES
---INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
IN CASE YOU WIN!
--ALL COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE TO
COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE!
HOW TO ENTER:
+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT YOU READ AND HEARD ABOVE ABOUT TO BE SUNG UNDERWATER AND DON'T FORGET YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FIND INTERESTING WHEN YOU VISIT AUTHOR TOM McNEAL'S WEBSITE HERE
+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG AND/OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND COME BACK HERE AND LEAVE ME YOUR LINK
+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON WAY THAT YOU FOLLOW MY BLOG. IF YOU FOLLOW MORE THAN ONE WAY, COMMENT ON EACH WAY SEPARATELY.
GIVEAWAY ENDS AT
6 PM, EST, JUNE 24
