Deep Down Things

by Tamara Linse

Deep Down Things, Tamara Linse's debut novel, is the emotionally riveting story of three siblings torn apart by a charismatic bullrider-turned-writer and the love that triumphs despite tragedy. From the death of her parents at sixteen, Maggie Jordan yearns for lost family, while sister CJ drowns in alcohol and brother Tibs withdraws. When Maggie and an idealistic young writer named Jackdaw fall in love, she is certain that she's found what she's looking for. As she helps him write a novel, she gets pregnant, and they marry. But after Maggie gives birth to a darling boy, Jes, she struggles to cope with Jes's severe birth defect, while Jackdaw struggles to overcome writer's block brought on by memories of his abusive father. Ambitious, but never seeming so, Deep Down Things may remind you of Kent Haruf's Plainsong and Jodi Picoult's My Sister's Keeper.

330 pages, Paperback

First published June 30, 2014

About the author

Tamara Linse ~ writer, cogitator, recovering ranch girl ~ broke her collarbone when she was three, her leg when she was four, a horse when she was twelve, and her heart ever since. She lives in Wyoming, where she writes short stories and novels. To support her writing habit, she also edits, freelances, and occasionally teaches. Find her online at http://www.tamaralinse.com and http://tamara-linse.blogspot.com

Reviews

[ReadAlongWithSue recovering from a stroke★⋆. ࿐࿔ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was kindly given this book to read and review by the author. I would like to thank her for that.

We have a great story, its her debut novel I understand and she's done well on it. The only reason I have given it a 3 star rating is that I became confused at times on who was speaking.

Its written from several people's POV which I have always found this new approach confusing at times, it has to be cleverly done for someone like me to follow it.

I have been reading since the age of 16 and I am now in my 50's so I have seen several changes on the homefront of the developing book world, especially since introducing the e-reader. Some of it is for the good and some for the bad. There are many books out there with chapters of characters POV or another book written for another character to be developed, but not all work for me. I did struggle a bit.

However, the concept of the story was captivating and I did finish it.

I am sure many newer readers who have taken up reading now will enjoy this avenue but I for one just felt in the middle of a room of strangers at time. :(

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Deep Down Things is an intense coming of age story revolving around a dysfunctional family and a self-assured young man, Jackdow, who enters their lives. It is written in first person and from points of view of the main characters. Although confusing at first and frustrating I was able to sort out the characters and get into each of their minds and history. This is a tough read that tackles tough subjects. At times it is shocking and straight forward but nevertheless I couldn't put it down. Everyone seemed doomed in the story and I knew the outcome would not be good.

I won this in a Goodreads giveaway!

[Trevor Pearson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Received a copy of Deep Down Things by Tamara Linse through the First Reads Giveaway program in exchange for an honest review

In Loveland, Colorado; "The Sweetheart City" as it is affectionately referred to by the town locals, is a town not advertised but with a reputation to be filled with drunks. To the core of the city the redeeming qualities lie in the environment as it is a great place to live and raise a family. Not far from the ranches, mountains, the water, or the expansive greenspace there is plenty for the outdoor enthusiast to do. During a seasonal January complete with a winter chill is where the story of the Jordan family begins to reveal itself. The reader has to deal with a lack of background information provided by the author. From what I can recall you are only aware of the more poignant moments and various details learned through countless back and forths that are spurred by personal reflections and memories. It is the job of the reader to fill in some of the blanks and draw their own conclusions.

Jackdaw Donner is a man that exudes confidence and thrives when he is the centre of attention. He has a gung-ho approach to life and claims to have been everywhere and done everything you could imagine. His current passion is bull riding and writing fiction and "cowboy poetry" which he is embarking on with the same approach that he is towards life. When you first encounter him it is obvious to see that he is a smart, good looking man with an omnipotence that is magnetic. All men want to be him and all women want to be with him. When you walk in his shoes and look behind the facade you begin to understand the confusion and conflicts that trouble him and have followed him from his childhood. One person's vulnerability is another person's mystery that is just beneath the surface begging to be solved.

Cleopatra "CJ" Jordan is the oldest of the Jordan clan. In her mind her whole family is crazy and always has been. After her parents died in a tragic accident she became the primary caregiver for her younger sister and brother. She was the rock, the glue that kept their family together when it easily could have been torn apart. As she grows up, her familial responsibilities have put her scholastic ambitions on the back burner as she takes a job as a bartender at Golddiggers to support her family. At a scheduled doctor's appointment she is told some bad news as she finds out that she is fertile and will not be able to have children. You feel her pain, but she doesn't really demonstrate to her friends and family how much it is bothering her. Her younger sister notices that she is drinking a little more than she used to and sees first hand a different side of her bigger sister. She hopes that CJ will be able keep it together and avoid the downward spiral that has destroyed many in the community.

Tiberius "Tibs" Jordan is a young man that is in constant search of something that he has been looking for quite some time. He slowly withdraws from the things and the people he loves until a fortuitous situation brings it all back together. By nature he is a meek, mild-mannered, deliberate young man that has a tendency of letting his head get ahead of his heart. Most times this would be an encouraged practice, but for Tibs he is finding that his personal, professional, and spiritual existence are lacking. He believes he has found that certain something he's needed in a friendship that provides him an excitement, a safety, and a security that he hasn't felt for years.

Magdalene "Maggie" Jordan desperately wants her family back to the way it was. Being the youngest of the bunch her memories of her parents are not as pronounced as her siblings and some would argue a little skewed in the wrong direction. With youth comes naivety and optimism, and with naivety and optimism comes bad judgment if not channeled correctly. She is described as being a natural beauty with the girl next door attributes that make her a prototypical take-home-to-mama kind of young woman. While dealing with the death of her parents she is trying to make the best of a bad situation and will stop at nothing in her pursuit of happiness.

Written in first person you travel from four different points of view with narratives that reflect each of their unique characters. The great changes that each character encounters during their journey enabled this ambitious type of narrative to work. From a personal viewpoint I also appreciate that the author didn't retell the same events from character to character with voice and perspective being the only change. Each narrative has its individuality but remain united when it comes to the totality of the story. This is an emotionally riveting, heartbreaking read that demonstrates how trouble evades no person and has no limits to its potential destruction. This story also shows how people can create their own conflicts as they try to fulfill a desire based on family relationships, personal expectations or the expectations of others.

"When my face is close to hers, I stood for just a second to look at her. She looks like the Virgin Mary, so beautiful, so perfect, so pristine. I want to stop but then I don't. I lean in and close my eyes and feel the softness of her lips on mine. It shoots electricity through me and we're connected, she and I, connected deep and forever in a way I hadn't expected.
I want her. I want her to be mine. I don't want anyone else to have any piece of her. And emotion rises in me that I can't name."

[Lynda Dickson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Welcome to the country town of Loveland, where "people from all over mail in their valentines so they can have a Loveland postmark", and where the locals spend their days drinking at the bar, riding bulls in rodeos, or fishing. Meet Maggie and her sister CJ and her brother Tibs who were orphaned when their archeologist parents died in a plane crash when Maggie was 16. As the oldest, CJ was charged with raising them. Now wanting children of her own, CJ finds she is infertile. In any event, she is in a dead-end relationship with fellow bartender Peter.

Maggie falls for charismatic Jackdaw from the first moment she sees him riding a bull. When he dislocates his shoulder and moves in with Tibs, Maggie and Jackdaw are brought closer together. However, CJ takes an instant dislike to him. Are her feelings justified?

While Maggie helps Jackdaw write his great American novel, Jackdaw's perception of her changes. He comes to resent her and often gets the unreasonable urge to hit her, just as his father used to hit his mother. Nevertheless, Jackdaw feels compelled to marry Maggie when she becomes pregnant. When baby Jes is born with spina bifida, Maggie remains optimistic and vows to be "the perfect mother", but Jackdaw blames Maggie for trapping him. And as Jes' condition worsens and Jackdaw's tolerance reaches breaking point, tragedy is bound to strike.

Deep Down Things is a heartbreaking account of one family's struggles to come to grips with both past and present tragedies. It is told alternately from the points-of-view of Maggie, her sister CJ, her brother Tibs, and Tibs' friend Jackdaw. This allows us to follow each character's story and is especially effective during the book's climactic scene, which we get to see from all four points-of-view.

Throughout the book, the author uses an extended metaphor centering on Jesus: the names "CJ" (as opposed to "JC"; her real name is also "Cleopatra" who is rumored to have fathered Jesus with Julius Caesar), "Maggie" (short for "Magdalene"), "Tibs" (short for "Tiberius", the name of the Roman emperor in power at the time of Jesus' crucifixion), and "Jes" (short form of "Jesus"); Jackdaw's comparison of Maggie to the Virgin Mary; the story of the bum who walks into CJ's bar; references to The Life of Brian; and the parallel of Maggie not being able to help Jes, just as Mary was unable to help Jesus on the cross.

By far, the author's greatest talent is her beautiful eye for detail. She has the remarkable ability to paint a picture with just a few choice words. She does this both in the way she perfectly portrays all four of her narrators, as well as in the way she describes the scenery. It's obvious she loves this land and knows it well.

Deep Down Things shares some similarities in theme to the author's previous book, How to Be a Man. In my review for that book, I stated that this author is a talent to watch. Well, now I'm watching her even more closely because I don't want to miss a thing.

Warnings: coarse language, sex scenes, domestic violence, gay and lesbian themes, alcohol abuse.

I received this book in return for an honest review.

[Shroog · Rating 3 out of 5]

Deep down things is just the perfect name for this novel.. I was so satisfied with different POVs where you can read every character's thoughts , fears & reasons that make the charachters actions understanable & emotional!! I think Maggie can be the protaginst as most of the story revolved around here ... I kinda like her at the beginning then she thought that having a baby with jackdaw is chance for him to give his child what he didn't have, that so stupid I think any person with that kind of childhood (like Jackdaw) have to deal with their issues and be prepared to have a family . I got that she want that perfect or just normal life that she can't see herself or her siblings could have and I admire her strenght & patience during the whole book tho, I just hoped she have more confident in her self not in a man -_- ..

I did share CJ her impression of Jackdaw I didn't like him either he is arrogant and self-center, yeah too much complexes.Cj was hard to not like her even with her annoying attitudes sometimes.Tibs is a nice person that all I can say about him I think he need a push to get rid of his fears and he think too much ..!!!
I actually believed for a moment that Bo can be the one for him & one of siblings can get a happy ending but I'm not complaining I like the how every things turn out even If feel so desperae by the end of this book.

For me all of the siblings want to achieve something they either do it the wrong way without any consideration, or they just not brave to get there( or just as Cj didn't even know what they want which is so sad and I feel there are many people out there like her, maybe people now are too lazy to experience things that could lead them to their purpose<< I don't know where this come from^^ IGNORE it ;P!!)

Anyway, I liked it & really needed this kind of depression :) ..it could be a 4 stars book but at some point I got confused and the charachters voices sound the same for me, also I feel that at some point its slow down and at another just jump to too fast but still a captative theme ..
Thanks to the author for sending me a copy I'm honored to read her first novel!! (Won in Goodreads giveaways)

[Lissette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maggie Jordan's life isn't perfect. She knows it never will be. She and her siblings have had to contend with a good many disappoints from an early age, including the unexpected death of their parents. Though she's made do with what she has, she can't help but to yearn for something better. Granted, life isn't working with her in giving her the miracle she seeks, but she's doing her best to cope with everything, nonetheless.

Maggie's life takes an unexpected turn when she meets the enigmatic Jackdaw. Everything about him piques her interest, though she does her best to downplay the way he makes her feel. A quick courtship soon ensues, and she finds herself caught up in dreams of her own making.

When things continue to spiral into the unknown, she soon realizes that not everything turns out the way she thought they would. Maggie now has to deal with the fact that she's pregnant, as well as Jackdaw's indifference.

The fact that her own siblings are going through ups and downs of their own opens her eyes to just how much things are changing. If they're to succeed in overcoming the obstacles headed their way, they'll need to find it within themselves to forgive their past indiscretions. The question is, how can they do that when time seems hell-bent on pulling them apart from every direction?

A bittersweet and thought-provoking story, Deep Down Things immerses us in the lives of three siblings who do their best to make do with what they have. They've had to deal with so many disappointments, striving to live a better life. Each deals with their insecurities in a myriad of different ways, but one thing holds them together--their love for one another.

Tamara has done a lovely job in setting the stage for this story. Based on real-life experiences, the emotions injected into the story fly off the page as you get further into the story. Her style of story-telling is certainly pleasing, making the story flow as smoothly as possible with every turn of the page. I definitely recommend this story, and know others will enjoy it just as much as I have.

[Len Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Deep Down Things,” by Tamara Linse tells the year-long story of a brother, Tibs and his two sisters, CJ and Maggie and Maggie’s husband, Jackdaw. Set in the cowboy country of Wyoming it’s an often moving, realistic portrayal of four young people coming of age.

It is written in first person, rotating the point of view among the four characters. It’s not my favorite approach and at first for me it was kind of like being dropped into a party where you don’t know anyone and they all introduce themselves, but five minutes later you’re trying to remember, “Okay which is the older sister? Who exactly is Jackdaw?”

But that confusion (which perhaps just reflects my own sloppy reading skills) passes. The chapters are short and the action moves briskly. Soon I was caught up in the story and I welcomed learning firsthand such things as what CJ thought of Maggie’s new boyfriend Jackdaw (“asshole”).

One of the really excellent aspects of this novel is that all the characters do “stuff.” There is a lot of rumination, but it is done in the context of activity: fishing, teaching a high school class about “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber,” bartending, how do properly insert a catheter. I used to think if I were a younger man it might be fun to try bull riding once (like that character in the Tim McGraw song, “Live Like You were Dying”). But I think I will settle for the excitement of reading the first person account of Jackdaw. Really vivid, scary, painful experience.

The primary thrust of the novel revolves around Maggie’s unexpected pregnancy and marriage to Jackdaw. In the second part of the novel the story of Maggie’s care for their child, Wes, who is born with spina bifida, takes center stage. It is a compelling, heartfelt, heartbreaking, heartwarming account. We see Maggie grow from a clueless teenager to a woman who cares for her child with everything she has. She loves Wes and she makes us love him too.

An excellent story.

[Ashley Martinez (ilovebooksandstuffblog) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from the author and from Paranormal Romance and Authors That Rock.
Deep Down Things is a realistic drama story.
The book follows CJ, Tibs, Maggie and Jacksaw. All are young adults who grow up and deal with the realities of life. Each has experienced tragedy in some way. Maggie, Tibs and CJ are siblings who lost their parents when Maggie was 16. Their death has effected each of them in different ways. CJ turns to alcohol, Tibs withdraws from everyone and Maggie struggles to deal with the loss. Jacksaw is Tibs friend. He's a cocky, confident young man. Maggie ends up falling for him. But he has his own traumatic past to deal with. Can any of them find some kind of peace and put their life back together or are they doomed to roam in the darkness forever?

A deep dramatic story. It took awhile to figure out who was who but once I did the story flowed easily. The book jumped from each of their points of view allowing us to see into each and everyone of their minds. I enjoyed being able to get a peek inside each of their heads. My favorite character was Tibs. To me he was the best and most supportive character. Jacksaw was an ass. I really tried to like him but his actions were inexcusable. Maggie was okay. Towards the end the strength she possessed was amazing and I felt for her. CJ had her own struggles but she was more of a background character to me. The story was okay for me. I found it a little hard to get into and I think it was because I didn't care too much for the characters.
Being a recent mother myself, Maggie's struggle really got to me. What she had to go through and how she was able to remain strong was amazing.
I recommend this to any reader who enjoys dramatic stories that deal with tougher topics. It's a heavier read.
I would rate this 3.5/4 fangs.

[Ana · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!*

So, here we are in Loveland!

This story has really interesting characters, especially Jackdaw and Maggie, but I felt the characters were underdeveloped. We watched them go through such life changing events and we watched them change so much but I wished they had more depth. Jackdaw is such a troubled mind and I couldn't quite figure him out. I couldn't understand how he felt, why he did the things he did, how his mind worked. Not to justify what he did, just to try and understand his logic (maybe an impossible thing...). A little bit the same for the other characters, although Jackdaw intrigued me the most.

Nevertheless, it's a beautifully written story. The descriptions of the scenery really take you there. And the different points-of-view gives us a greater understanding of what is happening and how it’s affecting each of them.

Also, it tackles different subjects (hard ones) through the different characters and it all comes together really well, with them all supporting each other and at the same time allowing them to grow as individuals.

[Albina Kit · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Deep Down Things - проста, динамічна історія, яка описується послідовно з чотирьох різних точок зору від імені чотирьох головних героїв. Цими героями є двоє сестер Меггі та СіДжей, їх брат Тібс та друг Тібса Джекдоу. Батьки перших трьох трагічно загинули в черговій археологічній експедиції, якими вони переймались більше ніж власними дітьми, що були вимушені дбати про себе самі. Батьки ж Джекдоу, навпаки, настільки травмували психіку і врізались у пам'ять хлопця, що їх образи весь час переслідують його, а відношення до них і до себе змінюється знову і знову на різних етапах його життя. Настає день, коли Тібс представляє Джекдоу своїм сестрам, що і стає початком кінця для усієї сім'ї. Всі четверо заново відкривають для себе свої справжні покликання, здібності, схильності та сутність кохання.

Багато деталей, особливо медичних, тісно переплітаються з життям та досвідом авторки, тому й книга більше буде цікава тим, хто переживає або пережив щось подібне. Звичайного ж читача книга, скоріш за все, не вразить через велику кількість подібних історій у сучасній літературі.

[Sharyl Saromines · Rating 4 out of 5]

An inspiring yet emotional novel on family dynamics, motherhood and friendship. Truly, the ending made me bawl like a child. I can relate with Maggie's character in the sense that she performs whatever that is expected from a mother despite the circumstances. Reality hurts but letting go is harder. I adore the support system she gets from her siblings although they have problems and conflicts of their own. On the other hand, her husband Jackdaw who may be emotionally burdened in his childhood is a complete repitition of what he was fearing himself to be-like his father. His character is the biggest flaw in their family.

I appreciate this book very much for its truthfulness. It is worth a read.
PS: I got this book from the Goodreads Giveaway. Thanks Tamara for the signed copy.

Live.love.create.

[April Peregoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emotional and heartbreaking. I read it in only a couple of days because I couldn't wait to find out what the characters would do next. The summary on the back says it best: "Ambitious, but never seeming so..." Great read, Tami!
Tamara Linse

[Ashley Jellison · Rating 5 out of 5]

**Review to Come**