Where the Heart Was: A Novel

By Glenn G. Boyer
Legendary Publishing, $34.95, 538 pages

Where the Heart Was tells the story of Bennie Todd growing up with his rustic, imperfect family as they doggedly pursue a better life during and after the Great Depression. Boyer begins the tale using flashbacks to give the reader historical context for the unfolding of Bennie’s life in turbulent times. Boyer eventually settles into a steady grove that’s easy to follow. The reader is soon introduced to Bennie’s loathsome mother, a bitter, mean, abusive woman. As the story progresses, the reader will likely soften to Bennie’s mother as the details of her life are revealed. Bennie’s gentle unemployed father struggles with thoughts of suicide fueled by loss of confidence. Enter Bennie’s aged but gregarious uncle Newt who’s been living in Alaska where he made a small fortune. Newt remains a powerful and likable character, despite many character flaws. Bennie is befriended by a Sioux Indian, and they become best friends for life. Through the eyes of Boyer’s characters, the reader traverses key events from the Civil War to the Little Bighorn to the Great Depression to World War II. Bennie grows into a thoughtful young man with a passion for farming and wild woods and a love of accurate history, however uncomfortable. This reviewer feels that Boyer’s overuse of onanism and detailed sexual interludes were unnecessary because the plot and characters had sufficient depth and complexity to captivate the reader. It is a good story, but the prudish should be warned.

Reviewed by Grady Jones