To Nourish and Consumeby Ryan O'Reilly
Published: 2010
Genre: Coming of Age
Hardback: 300 pages
Rating: 5
Description from the amazon:
A HAUNTING RETURN TO A FIERY LOVE TRIANGLE
Brian Falk and his best friend, Dabney, share a passion for the beautiful and wealthy Jackie, their childhood playmate and the prize catch of their social set.
But, the young men are also drawn to each other a secret, illicit connection that is cut short when Jackie chooses to wed the more moneyed Dabney.
Soon after graduation, a devastated Brian flees his hometown and, for ten agonizing years, tries to overcome the anguish that has all but consumed him.
Now he is drawn back to try to answer some of the questions he can no longer ignore:
Is he over Jackie?
Was what he felt for Dabney really love?
Does Jackie still love him?
As Brian desperately searches for closure, old wounds are reopened, a new love appears and revelations about his past throw his life into renewed turmoil.
Quote to note:
You know, time is all you need, Brian. Maturity helps us sort out most of these questions. A man doesn't run away from things that confuse him. He stays put and deals with 'em. If you run away once, you'll do it again and again. One day, there'll be no place left to run and you'll be faced with a god-awful truth—that you've pissed away half your life. If don't want that for you, son. Think about staying here for a while and see how it goes.
- Brian's Dad to Brian, chapter 8, page 41
My two-bits:
In-a-word(s): reflection
This is one of those books that you need absolute quiet (or at least I do) while reading in order to absorb the juicy details and scrumptious passages written.
I love how this story unfolds with reminiscing of the past interwoven with the present. It's a sort of personal life mystery that the protagonist solves in order to move forward with his life with nuggets of advice for us all.
Jane Austen sighting:
"I happen to think," she said, "that liking Jane Austen actually makes you more of a man."
- Alissa to Brian, chapter 8, page 78
* To Nourish and Consume is currently on a Blog Tour check out the schedule here.
* read Ryan's Pemberley Ball post: Ryan's Darcy which features his character Brian from To Nourish and Consume
* review copy courtesy of publisher
