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4.5
I’ll start here - stay with me: It amazes me how the osprey hover above the surface of the water until finally, they dive. Their body altered into the shape of an arrow head, wings angled up with their talons as the tip. Somehow, it's gracefully violent the way they do this, isn't it? A suspenseful moment, for sure, and a privilege to peer. This might be my experience, but I have never seen a hasty osprey. They are painstakingly patient. The soaring fish hawk knows just when to transform for the kill. You stand and you watch and you wait. Wonderfully anxious. And then it's like a flash. They are down and up again, sudden splashes, until they emerge with their catch--carrying it off in stunning parallel form.Maybe you even see the osprey give a proud nod as it glides away, a type of of bow for a captive audience.I recently finished "The Way Back.” My favorite part was with a character Madeline and her osprey. (I myself, am an old soul who loves birds). You will have to read for yourselves, no give aways here. But the chapter where Madeline is introduced is no doubt a pivotal passage, and for me, a turning point of the novel. Turner wrote his best here. This character connection that he crafted...everything opened up and began to pour out, page by page after Jack met Madeline. As the reader, I was completely there.From start to finish, much like the osprey, Turner knew just when to strike. And he was patient getting us there, never rushing, until suddenly we got caught up and carried off...Turner even took us through the seasons. I appreciated this detail.To talk about detail, he tidied up every corner and left nothing under the rug. The cleanest closure!! I was every bit satisfied by the end, but Turner still managed to leave me with many things to consider about life, family and relationships. The main character Jack, was so human. The poor guy! And not just him, all the characters. All so human, with so much to overcome. Honestly though, you never want to see someone suffer, but why is it so comforting to know that someone else besides you, has it rough? The hope of course, that Jack ultimately symbolizes, is someone who in the end, found his "way back" .....and we all want that. We want that for ourselves and for each other too.
