I Witness and WaitThis "brilliant" novel unravels a mystery which takes place in rural New Hampshire in the 1930s -- where crime of any kind, let alone a brutal sex murder, could hardly be imagined by the people who lived in this sedate, little town in the foothills of the White Mountains. But it did happen. An intelligent, mature-for-his age, fourteen year-old boy is accused of murdering his young, beautiful schoolteacher. A nostalgic coming-of-age tale, as well as a gripping thriller, excitingly written with well-developed characters, I Witness and Wait is a must read. "Truly a masterpiece!" "It´s a shame what took place in Overlook, New Hampshire, in the winter of 1935. Nothing like it had ever happened before -leastways, not in anyone´s memory - the younger generation back then used to complain that "nothin´ really excitin´" ever happened in that quiet, little old town "except only the usual things like births and marriages, and a-course funerals... only normal borin´ stuff like that. Nothin´ anywhere near excitin´ as say a bank robbery or the awful Lindbergh baby kidnappin´ for instance." Certainly not a crime having to do with sex! Good Heavens no! Not here in Overlook, New Hampshire. That would have been preposterous. Perish the thought! What´s more, no one in their right mind, not in their wildest dream, would ever imagine a sex murder taking place in this sedate, little town in the foothills of the White Mountains. But it did happen - sometime prior to the January thaw - that brief respite in an otherwise brutal winter uncovering the horrifying secret of Mason´s Pond. So begins Elwyn Dearborn´s new work of fiction, I Witness and Wait, a distinct departure from his former published work. It focuses on the coming of age of an intelligent, mature-for-his-age, fourteen, "goin´ on fifteen," year old boy growing up in a small (population:997) New Hampshire town. His story climaxes during the last months of 1934-1935 when the boy is accused of the brutal murder of his young and beguiling schoolteacher, resolved in the final chapter´s exciting court proceedings. The story involves a wide range of characters in this fictitious small town who live in relative prosperity until the "War to End All Wars," having just endured the Great Depression and lived through economic recovery under F.D.R. leading up to World War II. How these town folks enjoy life and earn their living provides the background panorama against which this fascinating novel is told. |
