W.M. “Bill” Howe, Leeds, England—
“At its heart this is a moving tale of tenderness and the things we do for love, of how a relationship between two people endures, despite time and change and aging. A tale of ordinary lives, and ordinary people, set in a small town in East Texas, an environment that will already be familiar to readers of Christopher Cooks earlier collection fine of short stories, Screen Door Jesus.
“At the same time it is as superbly crafted, as richly descriptive as the author’s other works, and along the way, meditates at length on universal matters of faith, belief and the hope of salvation. The novella just builds and builds to a finale that made me suspend my own disbelief and quite literally choke back tears – proof enough of the writer’s way with words.
I recommend his other e-books, as well:
Storm – A Novella
Robbers – Special Edition
Tiger Ridge – Three Stories
The Pickpocket – A Short Story
Screen Door Jesus & Other Stories
M. Theriot, Texas—
“A great way to spend a couple of hours”
“An easy, captivating read. I was pulling for Nathan as he struggled so humanly with his religious striving and doubt. I loved it!”
A Professional Writing Coach—
“I became a Christopher Cook fan when I read Screen Door Jesus and Other Stories, then followed it up with Robbers. Now I read everything he puts out, and lucky for us, he’s putting out a lot lately.
“Cook writes rich, regionally-based stories that derive from his experience growing up in a rambunctious, almost-always-in-in trouble, sometimes-criminal family in East Texas—a place I would hesitate to venture into alone. Yet I can do that vicariously through Cook’s stories.
“As a fellow writer, and former writing coach, I’m aware of excellent writing when I see it. Not only does Cook tell good stories, he writes with a beautiful prose style that sweeps the reader along, yet does not get in the way of the story. Cloven Tongues of Fire does this.
“Cook’s characters struggle with the issues we all struggle with: redemption, conscience, how to live a “good” life. He subtly looks at the question: What will be the sum of who we are, and what we have given to the world (even if our world is only the few around us in a limited region) when we leave? This novella will be immensely satisfying to anyone who likes a good story, well told.”
