Waking Samuel

by Daniel Coyle

An emotional and startlingly honest thriller about loss and redemption.

He is known only as the tall man, a victim of a gunshot wound discovered on a remote beach northwest of Seattle. Motionless and nearly mute, he lies saintlike in his hospital bed, tended vigilantly by his nurse, Sara Black. Sara is struggling to recover a loss of her own-a car accident that killed her four-year-old son. In agony over what she might have done differently, Sara finds herself spending more and more time with the tall man. As he draws Sara into a strange and chilling story about his past on an Alaskan island, she must face some truths of her own, as well as the realization that the patient to whom she's devoted herself may not be who he says he is.

Full of compassion and brilliantly rendered landscapes, Daniel Coyle's first novel is an intelligent, suspenseful portrayal of the journey one woman must take to find forgiveness.

Genres: Fiction

304 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Daniel Coyle is the author of the upcoming book The Culture Code (January 2018). He is the New York Times bestselling author of The Talent Code, The Little Book of Talent, The Secret Race (with Tyler Hamilton), and other books. Winner (with Hamilton) of the 2012 William Hill Sports Book of the Year Prize, he is a contributing editor for Outside magazine, and also works a special advisor to the Cleveland Indians. Coyle lives in Cleveland, Ohio during the school year and in Homer, Alaska, during the summer with his wife Jen, and their four children.

Reviews

[A Ivy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe I'm not deep enough? The story felt disjointed and unfinished. Writing was pretty good.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't remember picking up it up because of the Alaskan nods, and for that reason it was a pleasant surprise when it came to that part in the book. It was a bit lacking in resolution, but for no real/particular reason it really jived with me and I liked it. I liked Daniel Coyle's writing and detailed descriptions that took you right there, but didn't drag it down.

[Trish · Rating 2 out of 5]

Plodded through this book club selection. I am still uncertain what Samuel's story really was. Also,let's of typos. Who edited this book?