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Summary: If you were born between, say, 1945 and 1953 ...
Review: ... this book might resonate particularly well; it could become one of your basic books. If your birthdate isn't in that range, read it anyway because it's a wonderful book. This is a beautiful novel about complex people caught in the overwhelming cross currents of the late '60s. The author's created a complete world, with every character compelling. The writing is down-to-earth and the story flows as naturally as the river. The book has stayed with me; I remember the characters so fondly, as if I knew them. I really didn't want the book to end.
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Summary: Excellent 60's Memories
Review: I was there! Not really, but I feel like I was. The author's feel for this era transported me from dusty West Texas to the foggy, wet Delaware River Valley. I was a little older than Nick, the main character in the book when Woodstock happened, but whispers of it ran through our tight-knit farming community like wind through the corn tassles. We wanted to be there. So the first week in August, 1969, 3 of my friends and I convinced a long-haul trucker to take us "east"! We ended up near New York City, hot, hungry and dirty with no earthly idea how to get to "Woodstock." But the freaks knew. They pointed us north, and with thumbs out, battered cowboy hats and boots and dirty bandannas, we headed for our life-changing experience.
Read this book, Buy this book, love this book, share it with everyone you know over 48! We were ALL there in spirit. We all wanted "out"! We all wanted "in"! We none of us wanted to go to Vietnam but I did. And I took memories of Woodstock with me. Now with this book, the memories of how free and easy it was back then, when all we had to decide was what to eat for supper, where to go dancin' and who to sidle up to was foremost in our innocent minds.
Thank you Joseph Freda, for putting it all into focus for me and for taking me back to a better time and place.-Scott Johnson
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Summary: Patience of Rivers is a splashing success!
Review: It's been a while since I've read a book that I've so thoroughly enjoyed. Mr. Freda gives us a real river cruise as he extends the metaphor beautifully. His style of writing is lucid, striking, to the point, and certainly no nonsense.Certainly, this is a "coming of age" story and rather brilliantly done. I understand the author is a product of the Defense Department's overseas schools (he graduated from Kubasaki High School in Okinawa in the late '60s). I happened to be a young marine stationed on Okinawa at the time, personally nervous about Viet Nam (as most of us were) and when I picked up "Patience of Rivers" I felt the author had more than represented an era, of course. His book transcends a single concept. This is Mr. Freda's second novel (I've also read his "Suburban Guerillas" and it's also great!) and I can hardly wait for the next one.
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Summary: Patience of Rivers is a splashing success!
Review: It's been a while since I've read a book that I've so thoroughly enjoyed. Mr. Freda gives us a real river cruise as he extends the metaphor beautifully. His style of writing is lucid, striking, to the point, and certainly no nonsense. Certainly, this is a "coming of age" story and rather brilliantly done. I understand the author is a product of the Defense Department's overseas schools (he graduated from Kubasaki High School in Okinawa in the late '60s). I happened to be a young marine stationed on Okinawa at the time, personally nervous about Viet Nam (as most of us were) and when I picked up "Patience of Rivers" I felt the author had more than represented an era, of course. His book transcends a single concept. This is Mr. Freda's second novel (I've also read his "Suburban Guerillas" and it's also great!) and I can hardly wait for the next one.
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Summary: A Townie's View of Woodstock
Review: Nick is a young man I knew well! I recall those days of the summer of '69 much as Mr. Freda does, although I wasn't having to worry about being drafted. But I knew plenty of local boys who were worried--nightmare stories from Viet Nam were already coming through even then. This is a true coming of age story and the author does well in capturing these moments. He transcends this mere label, though, as he not only captures the time, the essence of that situation, but of Every Boy, it seems, of not only that time, but any time of crisis. Freda's style of writing is lucid, warm, well-paced. This is a book I've enjoyed reading. It deserves all the praise it's getting.
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Summary: Freda shows lots of patience in this excellent novel!
Review: Nick is a young man I knew well! I recall those days of the summer of '69 much as Mr. Freda does, although I wasn't having to worry about being drafted. But I knew plenty of local boys who were worried--nightmare stories from Viet Nam were already coming through even then. This is a true coming of age story and the author does well in capturing these moments. He transcends this mere label, though, as he not only captures the time, the essence of that situation, but of Every Boy, it seems, of not only that time, but any time of crisis. Freda's style of writing is lucid, warm, well-paced. This is a book I've enjoyed reading. It deserves all the praise it's getting.
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Summary: A Moment in Time
Review: This is a fun and engaging book, and an easy, quick, and suspenseful read. The author is an exceptionally gifted writer and good storyteller, who I think does an excellent job of capturing one of the most unforgettable moments in recent time...the late 60's. It is nostalgic without being overly sentimental, and I found the characters to be "real" people with universal qualities that are instantly appealing. The setting takes place in a small rural town, and I especially enjoyed the author's very lush descriptions of the natural beauty of the area, and how he wove this aspect of the story into the overall plot. Anyone who is a sucker for a "first love", coming-of-age story, but perhaps seeking a fresh approach, should read this book.
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Summary: The Patience of Rivers
Review: This is a great story about life in the Delaware River valley. Joe Freda captures the sheer beauty of the area and shares that magic with his readers. I loved the twists and turns that the plot takes and stayed in suspense, never knowing where this warm and enchanting tale would end up. I give 6 stars out of 5!
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Summary: A Townie's View of Woodstock
Review: This terrific read has a fresh take on an old, but still alluring, subject: sex, drugs, and rock'n'roll, circa 1969.
Nick, the main character, is a townie, helping his family run a campground near the farm where Woodstock is about to take place. If he were just another teenager meeting the counterculture, The Patience of Rivers would be merely amusing, but this is also a novel about a family, coming apart under the stress of bad business. Very highly recommended for book clubs, and anyone who enjoyed "A Walk on the Moon."
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Summary: Takes me back!
Review: You don't have to live in upstate New York to appreciate this coming-of-age story. Takes me back to 1969, carefree days, when all we had to worry about was who was gonna supply the pot, who was gonna be the next conquest (no AIDS to worry about), and best of all, no risk of terrorist attacks... Vietnam weighed heavily on everyone's minds, but it was a world away. Woodstock became our anthem. I'll let my kids read this to understand my formative years.
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