"You done lived a tough life, boy, and I know I'm part responsible for that. I ain't askin' you to excuse me or forgive me. Just know I did the best I knew to do. I was just tryin' to make you tough enough to deal with the world. To stand tall among men, I knew you had to be strong and have yo' own mind."
"You were preparing me for war, Grandfather."
Guy Johnson, the author of the critically acclaimed debut Standing at the Scratch Line, continues the Tremain family saga.
Jackson St. Clair Tremain hasn't spoken to his grandfather King in nearly twenty years. Disgusted by the violence and bloodlust that seemed to be his grandfather's way of life, Jackson chose to distance himself from King and live a simpler life. But now King is gravely ill, and his impending death places Jackson's life--as well as those of his family and friends--in jeopardy. Reluctantly, Jackson travels to Mexico to see King. But after a brief reconciliation, his grandfather is assassinated, and Jackson suspects that his grandmother Serena may have had a hand in it. Jackson takes control of King's organization, and as he does, he reflects on the summers he spent in Mexico as a child and the lessons he learned there at the knee of his strong-willed, complex grandfather.
In Echoes of a Distant Summer, Guy Johnson introduces us to a new hero, Jackson St. Clair Tremain, who learns that, like his grandfather, he must be willing to protect those he loves--at all costs.
About the Author :
Guy Johnson is the author of the novel Standing at the Scratch Line and a book of poetry, In the Wild Shadows. After graduating from high school in Egypt, he completed college in Ghana. Johnson managed a bar on Spain's Costa del Sol, ran a photo safari service from London through Morocco and Algeria, and worked on oil rigs in Kuwait. Most recently he worked in the local government of Oakland, California, for more than ten years. He lives in Oakland with his wife and son.
Peter Jay Fernandez is an accomplished audiobook narrator who has won three AudioFile Earphones Awards and an Audie Award in 2009. He has also appeared on television, film, and stage. His appearances include roles in Law & Order, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and the musical Thunder Knocking on the Door.
Review :
"A fast-paced saga of violence, revenge, and redemption."
-- "Booklist"
"Johnson's novel celebrates family, blood, courage, loyalty, power, and being tough."
-- "USA Today"
"Marvelously entertaining...this would be cheap pulp fiction, but the gifted Johnson gives sweep and emotional resonance to the action-packed hijinks."
-- "Publishers Weekly"
"Partly an African American version of The Godfather, with a similar body count... achieves [a] high standard of page-turning readability."
-- "Library Journal"
