A Sailor Returns

Rating:
Summary: About what it means to have a grandparent in the world
Review: A grandfather who long abandoned the family and who was believed dead attempts new contacts with Evan and his mother, earning the resentment of their stepfather. Why has his grandfather returned home at this time, and how can he fit into their new family? Evan discovers an unusual bond exists as he learns what it means to have a grandparent in the world.

Rating:
Summary: Touching but Disappointing
Review: In an otherwise touching and wonderful story about a man finding his family after many years, a family discovering the father/ grandfather they thought dead, and their reunion for a brief summer, I was truly disappointed in the depiction of the father/ son-in-law. Eleven year old Even Bryant is pleasantly surprised to discover that his maternal grandfather, a sailor presumed dead, finds his family and comes for a short visit. His deep dark secrects of where he has been and what has kept him from seeking out his family before this are told. My disappointment comes from the way Even's father is characterized. He is a regular church attender and even sings in the choir, but is depicted as mean spirited and mercenary. I find it a bit offensive that the only really religious person in the story is depicted this way. I suggest that anyone who wishes to encourage their children to attend religious services to read this book before giving it to a child. This is reviewed from a uncorrected proof version of the book.