Confusing the Seasons

by Dan Cavallari

Einar William Coates can hear his wife in the steps that creak and windows that shake against the autumn wind. He can smell her on his pillow and in the kitchen—but he can never touch her again. As his family assembles at his home in northern Maine for her funeral, Einar knows this is a fate he has earned, yet the bitterness of loss is no softer for it. He is hardly the only Coates man to be grieving, however, as one of his sons endures the loss of his marriage and the other mourns what should have been the start of his own. When Jason and Robert assemble at their childhood home, a grudge that dates back to the origins of Robert's mysterious limp and Jason's days as a hockey player at the university become their companion during the chill of the early winter.

Yet the struggles of the Coates family only distract them from a confrontation that played out years before. Old friends and older enemies re-emerge from behind the darkened woods and empty potato fields of the desolate north as convicted murderer Angus McCausland returns for a fiery reunion with Jason Coates. A story about regaining hope, remembering love and sacrificing everything in that pursuit, Confusing the Seasons follows the Coates men on a winter bound to guide them toward self-discovery—or self-destruction.

Genres: Contemporary

310 pages, Paperback

First published March 14, 2011

About the author

Dan Cavallari is a writer and photographer. He lives in Denver, Colorado with his wife and dog.

For more information on Dan Cavallari, visit browntiemedia.com or www.d2photos.net

Reviews

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be completely forthcoming, this is my husband's first published novel--and as surgeons aren't permitted to operate on family members, perhaps spouses of writers should not be permitted to review their books. Emotions do have a tendency to cloud judgement, although I believe they can also enhance judgement. And this is not a life-or-death situation. So, with all of the disclaimers stated and without further ado, here is my review:

Confusing the Seasons tells the story of a family on the verge of falling apart. Eighner William Coates (a great, grizzly character), who has just lost his wife, must deal with the crises of his children in her stead--and he's not always equipped to meet the complexity of their dysfunction, although he has a few good churlish adages to whip their butts into shape. Although the Coates family would seem to have enough on their plate just dealing with each other, Cavallari sends more trouble their way in the form of an escaped criminal. The plot moves very quickly and is very engaging; however, the story suffers from first novelitis in two ways: the O Pioneers ending and the comparatively weak development of the female characters.

Still, I think most readers will be swept up in the action, sympathize with the Coates family's troubles, and enjoy Cavallari's rendering of small-town Maine. Cavallari's storytelling is colorful and earthy. Definitely a story worth reading (and I'm not just saying that).

[Ciclochick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those books at the end of which you say, 'Wow, I wasn’t expecting that.' It starts off with an old man, Einar Coates, who, after burying his wife, Sarah, watches his children (Robert, Jason and Bethany) deal with the fall-out of their train-wreck lives that include infidelity, neglect, alcoholism and missed opportunities. And grief over one thing inevitably heightens the misery and resentment of issues past.

All this is enough to keep you absorbed as you learn how and why Jason loses his fiancée, why Robert’s marriage falls apart, how and why alcohol has become a prop in both their lives, and why Bethany has had enough of her husband, who wears his mobile phone so permanently attached to his ear, it’s practically an earring.

But…as you’re page-turning in anticipation…the author throws in the grenade that is Angus. A man in prison who has a bone to pick with one of the brothers. A bone that blows the fragments of the Coates family sky-high.

The author has skilfully created an atmosphere of tension and suspense. Unspoken words, unexpressed feelings all erupt into a mushroom cloud of regret, contrition and decisions that fail to come to fruition.

I would have liked a fuller picture of the fate of a couple of characters...I did find myself asking, 'But what about...' and if it's true the author was a former English teacher, I would have expected fewer errors. That aside, I really enjoyed and would recommend this book.

[Diane Collins · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story about alcoholism and family issues was good had an unexpected ending

[Juliet Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Confusing the Seasons is the new novel by Dan Cavallari. It starts out as a tale of rural family life in northern Maine. The Coates family are all more or less in tune with the rural environment around them. The daughter's husband though is a city boy, and spends his time with his mobile phone stuck to his face, which alienates him from everyone else in the family. There are of course other tensions in the family, as there are in any family and these are explored carefully and sensitively in the first half of the book, which I really enjoyed.

However, from about half way through, the book changes from heart warming tale of rural family life to blood-thirsty revenge drama. This part of the book is gripping, but just wasn't what I wanted to read, particularly given recent events in Norway.

So all in all, I felt this wasn't quite the book I'd hoped it to be, but there is no doubt that Cavallari can write a good, gripping story and I look forward to see his future work. I am also intrigued by his mixed media Apocalypse project.

[Rosemary Cantrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was about the characters and their interaction with each other and in dealing with their own demons. There is the elderly father, who has just lost his wife of 40 years and who is struggling with that; his three children who are all struggling in their relationships with each other and with their spouses/fiance; and supporting characters struggling with other personal issues. The author did a great job of revealing only a little at a time about each character, but doing it in a way that didn't make me irritated. It just flowed in a very natural way.

There is also enough action to keep the reader hooked. In fact, as the suspense and tension build, it becomes nearly impossible to put the book down. One warning - if you must have a happy ending, you may not enjoy this book! The ending is what it should have been, but it is not an easy one.

I would recommend this to readers who like character driven novels. I received a copy of this book in exchange for writing a review.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Confusing the Seasons is a story of addiction, depression, and loss. It is a well written story that pieces together the past and the present. We are taken into the breakdown of a family after the death of the family matriarch. I had hoped to be able to feel the presence of this woman in her home as she was supposedly a strong factor in the story. Her spirit did not exist for me and I felt I never knew her in life or death. The other female characters also felt underdeveloped and lacking. I was expecting something more of the ending. It was disappointing that resolution was achieved by what seems to be the typical and sensational violent blood bath.

I was wondering, are law enforcement that inept? While there was travel into and out of the family home, law enforcement were unable to do so in spite of the possibility there was an escaped felon in the area. I live in snow country where emergency vehicles make it in all kinds of inclement weather.

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all i would like to thank Goodreads and Dan Cavallari for the giveaway!! Always awesome to read new authors and thier first born babies. Thanks again.

I truely really liked this book. I fell in love with Einar William Coates right from the beginning. A man of few words, much like my Dad, but when he does speak, you listen. Einar has lost his wife and is left in this world of cold Maine winters with his two sons and a daughter. Of course the brothers love each other but they have their problems with each other too. Bethany, his daughter, has a husband that just won't put the damn phone down.

The ending of this story was soooo not what i wanted to happen.
Dan, Dan, Dan....You left me kind of mad at ya for that. But all-in-all i enjoyed the book. So pick it up and Happy Reading.

[Rita · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has been the best novel I have read in a long time. It was a book I couldn't put down. I stayed up all night to finish this book. The story was so real and full of real emotions and suspense. The feelings of emotions and living according to these reactions was so real, I felt I was right in the middle of the family experiencing everything. The author has done a great job and I would recommend this as a book to read. Put it on your list to read for sure. Thanks for the chance to read this wonderful book. Rita

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is what might happen if Steven King tried to write a Jane Austen novel. The book has a very suspenseful lead-up to the climax, and a significant level of violence. It also explores family relationships. While it held my interest, I had trouble finding a male character with whom I could identify. Most of the characters meet a fate consistent with their actions, so while the ending isn't a happy one, it at least doesn't leave the reader feeling like any terrible injustices were done.

[Kassie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stories of delicate family situations can often go too far into an overly sentimental realm where the message is lost through situations manufactured to tug at the heart-strings. That is absolutely not the case in Confusing the Seasons . Dan Cavallari balances the emotions of a grief stricken family working together and individually through their pain.

The realistic characters and beautifully told story have made this one of my favorites of the summer.

[Melissa Watson · Rating 3 out of 5]

An intimate look at family life in Northern Maine filled with anger, drunkeness and death. It was well written and the third person narrative helped to show the feelings of each miserable character and how they all connect. We start by meeting a patriarch who recently lost his wife. He tries and fails to fill the void his wife left for his three grown children who each have their own tragedies to bear. It was sad but good.

[Marion · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enticing story of an aging Maine family weighed down by unmetabolized grief and loss. There is a suspenseful subplot--who is that man behind the barn?

Dan's pacing is great and some of his sentences are those that fly off the page and demand to be noticed. I often reflect on his characters and find this book to be an exciting, enjoyable read.

[Jo Perkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't put it down, It was great. I didn't want it to end, but I liked the ending, things to think about. I'm waiting for the next one. Keep writing Dan, it was fantastic.

[Julia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm reviewing this for free as a Goodreads first reads book.

I didn't really enjoy it, but the writing voice wasn't bad.

[Kristina Franken · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this book for anyone

FTC: I received a free copy of this book and was not reimbursed in any other way.