Mitch Davies writes in a vernacular and at a pace geared to a
young adult such as a high school age audience in his novel A Wind in Montana. This clever work tracks the life of Rory, his
main character, as he is faced with the peer pressures, personal desires, and
all of the possibilities of choices that confront a high school student’s
preparation for college. Thrown into the
mix of Rory’s choices are his developing hormonal desires to embrace a relationship
with his girlfriend. Both of their
growing desires to get deeper into a relationship are carefully balanced with
the influence of their parents, friends, teachers as well as their own privacy
and scholastic ambitions. Inexperienced
in “making out” at first, not knowing what goes through the other person’s
mind, they experiment and learn many new sensations. This brings a fresh and stimulating turbulence
to their lives, sometimes outweighing logical and reasonable decisions, yet always
they act respectful and kind.
You get to know Rory in a very straightforward way, as his
character development is honestly revealed as being a normal teenager with
normal teenage concerns. Rory feels pressured and manipulated by his teachers
and counselors at school at first, then grows his independence as he matures in
many ways. He learns to speak up about
what he wants and hold steadfast in his individual beliefs and desires against
all sorts of pressures.
It was very impressive to have such an insightful and
realistic view of the decisions and values of young adults so well written in
this book. Rory’s learning the ways of
the world, having people’s interest’s conflict with his own plans – plans that
aren’t fully made yet unfolding in front of him – make for a very captivating
storyline. Moving ahead at an unhurried
pace, Mitch Davies finds the time and words necessary to fully explain and
enhance the events that shape the lives of his characters.
I found A Wind in
Montana to be a healthy, entertaining, educational, inspiring and well
conceived story worthy of being a book to grace all school libraries and family
shelves. A good companion book for high
school students on trips, or by their bedside tables, each reader is sure to
take away many lessons of maturity and righteous values from reading what Rory
has gone through, and how his decisions have taken form to shape his destiny.
Buy this book at Amazon.com
