Troy and Vincent begin their lives together on the elementary school playground. Their bond - the simplest and purest of friendships - is no match for looming 1970s racism and social mores. All too soon the thread that connects them gets stretched, and it snaps. Decades unfold. The chasm between the two men hopelessly widens. Mired in a world that tells them they are never good enough, they hurt others. They hurt themselves. Can lives this far apart ever come together? 4-Star-Rated by IndieReader: "Connected in life by a ...
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Troy and Vincent begin their lives together on the elementary school playground. Their bond - the simplest and purest of friendships - is no match for looming 1970s racism and social mores. All too soon the thread that connects them gets stretched, and it snaps. Decades unfold. The chasm between the two men hopelessly widens. Mired in a world that tells them they are never good enough, they hurt others. They hurt themselves. Can lives this far apart ever come together? 4-Star-Rated by IndieReader: "Connected in life by a small school in Seattle, four people with divergent backgrounds navigate the challenges of childhood and the grander scales of adult life. Vincent and Troy meet as boys on a playground and are separated by fate and the racist attitudes of the past. Dolores and Shirley interact with these men in different ways, and the twists and turns of these four lives span decades, with small decisions and actions causing repercussions into the present. ...Author Pete KJ has written a novel that takes place largely in the past, yet the actions and attitudes of the characters mirror current perspectives on race and personal responsibility...The issues that KJ writes about in terms of race, family and love are large, but by letting his well-drawn characters drive the action the book doesn't come off as preachy or a morality tract. ...The elementary school setting for the beginning of the book is written evocatively-its depictions of the relationships and burgeoning romantic interests of children resemble some of Stephen King's coming-of-age novels. Featuring a diverse cast of well-written characters, THE MAPLE LEAF provides a thought-provoking look at recent history through the lens of a changing friendship."--IndieReader See more at: http: //indiereader.com/2015/01/maple-leaf/#sthash.80SN5HFw.dpuf
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