John The Revelator by Peter Murphy

Peter Murphy's first novel is a delightfully written book which I savored reading. I related to the main character in some ways because I, too, was the child of a single mother and we did have some rough times.


John and his mother live is a small village and they scrape by.  The relationship changes over the course of the book and John becomes the caregiver as time takes it toll on his mother.

The writing in the book is wonderful. I mentioned that I savored it -  I always enjoy it when an author can make the characters come alive and draw such a wonderful picture as the following:

" What's for dinner?"
"Pigs feet and hairy buttermilk."
She spread the table cloth and set the Delph.  There were Polish cartoons on television, followed  by the Angelus' boring bongs.  My mother looked out the window and smoked while I ate.  Her green eyes went grey whenever it rained and her hair was braided halfway down its back.  After the washing us, she sat by the fire and read her Westerns.  Gusts sobbed in the chimney and the fire spat and crackled.
"Book any good?"
"Ah--
She slapped it shut, shook a Majors from the box and broke the fileter off.
"Too many descriptions. I know what a tree looks like.'

I am anxious to see if the author will produce future books.  If so I shall enjoy reading them.