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Whippoorwill Hollow #2
Old Wounds to the Heart
Shenandoah National Park, Thanksgiving Morning, 1967
The morning mists are still rising in Whippoorwill Hollow when two aging friends find themselves staring at each other: one pointing a gun and the other beaten and chained to a tree. Their love for the same woman has buckled under the weight of a long-held secret -- until now.
Out of the blue mountains of Virginia comes a 1960s American tale bound with the regrets people carry to their graves and a tumultuous chance at redemption. Three friends decide if their hearts will lock them into old wounds or lead them to new love.
The morning mists are still rising in Whippoorwill Hollow when two aging friends find themselves staring at each other: one pointing a gun and the other beaten and chained to a tree. Their love for the same woman has buckled under the weight of a long-held secret -- until now.
Out of the blue mountains of Virginia comes a 1960s American tale bound with the regrets people carry to their graves and a tumultuous chance at redemption. Three friends decide if their hearts will lock them into old wounds or lead them to new love.
332 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 28, 2015
182 people are currently reading
1051 people want to read
About the author
Ken Oder
11 books135 followersKen Oder grew up in White Hall, Virginia, at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains. He received undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Virginia and moved to Los Angeles, California, in 1975 to join the law firm of Latham & Watkins. He practiced law there until 1993, when he left the firm to become an executive at Safeway, Inc. He retired from Safeway in 2003. He and his wife, Cindy, have three children and two grandchildren, and live in California.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
July 18, 2017
Wonderful story.
Really like this author and his writing style. Time to time had to put my Kindle down and walk to parlor for a spell and think about the chapter I just read. Thought provoking story. If you grow up and got married in the late sixties, you'll really like this life story. And know the difference between the sex and making love. Strongly recommend this book.
Really like this author and his writing style. Time to time had to put my Kindle down and walk to parlor for a spell and think about the chapter I just read. Thought provoking story. If you grow up and got married in the late sixties, you'll really like this life story. And know the difference between the sex and making love. Strongly recommend this book.
August 7, 2015
It's a fascinating yet simple story which grabs you immediately. I loved the way the scenes were set and yet left room for your imagination to fill in the blanks.
Given the more advanced age of the characters, I was surprised to find how well I related to their feelings.
It was beautifully told, and I very much enjoyed this story.
Given the more advanced age of the characters, I was surprised to find how well I related to their feelings.
It was beautifully told, and I very much enjoyed this story.
July 10, 2015
To slip this novel soundly into a specific genre would be doing it a disservice. It is historical – 1960’s. It is romantic, but not a romance. There is some mystery because the reader has to wonder if the main character will survive. I guess this is a literary novel.
The writing is simply beautiful. For instance, listen to this:
***
Toby pulled into the dirt lot beside the store. It was a rectangular frame box with peeling paint. Smoke curled from its stovepipe and the morning rain still dripped from rusty gutters that clung desperately to the roof line by scattered nails. The storefront was a concrete porch with a single gas pump in front of it. Two long wooden benches sat on the porch on each side of the door. Four rotting wooden pillars buckled under the weight of the porch’s sagging roof. The old store had already been remodeled and repaired a hundred times, and another facelift was overdue.
***
The author takes you back in time to a place in a rural Virginia town and gently revealed parts and pieces of its topography and people.
The story is not a gentle one. It is about some old friends who were going to go to their cabin up the mountain, until a few of them declared they are too old to continue to participate. That night one of the old men, Billy, is almost asleep in his bed, is awakened by noises, then confronted by a ski-masked intruder with a gun. What happens next is an edge of your seat read. The conclusions are a complete surprise. The things Billy has done to some of his friends and family produces a lot of regret and worse.
The emotional range portrayed by the characters as they each struggle with memories or consequences of the same events brought me to tears or smiles. I am reminded that all our actions bring consequences even heart wounding ones.
The writing is simply beautiful. For instance, listen to this:
***
Toby pulled into the dirt lot beside the store. It was a rectangular frame box with peeling paint. Smoke curled from its stovepipe and the morning rain still dripped from rusty gutters that clung desperately to the roof line by scattered nails. The storefront was a concrete porch with a single gas pump in front of it. Two long wooden benches sat on the porch on each side of the door. Four rotting wooden pillars buckled under the weight of the porch’s sagging roof. The old store had already been remodeled and repaired a hundred times, and another facelift was overdue.
***
The author takes you back in time to a place in a rural Virginia town and gently revealed parts and pieces of its topography and people.
The story is not a gentle one. It is about some old friends who were going to go to their cabin up the mountain, until a few of them declared they are too old to continue to participate. That night one of the old men, Billy, is almost asleep in his bed, is awakened by noises, then confronted by a ski-masked intruder with a gun. What happens next is an edge of your seat read. The conclusions are a complete surprise. The things Billy has done to some of his friends and family produces a lot of regret and worse.
The emotional range portrayed by the characters as they each struggle with memories or consequences of the same events brought me to tears or smiles. I am reminded that all our actions bring consequences even heart wounding ones.
August 23, 2018
READ THIS BOOK
Having entered my eight decade of life, this book addressed some God issues of the aging process. Men never change.....much. Women try. Very well written. Felt like I knew each individual character. Author knows how to tell us how each person handles positives and negatives in life. Thoroughly enjoyable reading.
Having entered my eight decade of life, this book addressed some God issues of the aging process. Men never change.....much. Women try. Very well written. Felt like I knew each individual character. Author knows how to tell us how each person handles positives and negatives in life. Thoroughly enjoyable reading.
Want to read
March 26, 2020DigitalBookSpot
March 2, 2017
This is a very engaging and well-written tale. It captures rural Virginia characters and setting very accurately. The characters are well-developed and elicit strong interest. The plot moves along smartly and has some well-crafted twists and turns. I highly recommend it to readers who appreciate a very well-crafted story of personal struggles with the past. It is one of those books we do not want to end.
March 2, 2017
I enjoyed Ken Oder's first book, so I looked forward to reading this and was not disappointed! This is an excellent read if you enjoy suspense. It is eloquently written, providing a vivid picture of the characters and Whippoorwill Hollow. The descriptions will transport you to the hills of Virginia and immerse you in the lives of its characters. This book cleverly tells a romantic story with unexpected turns, making it hard to put down. Every page is enjoyable.
May 19, 2017
Soooo wonderful!!!
This isn't some action packed, psychological thriller or murder mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. It's sooo much MORE than that!! This is an unflinchingly honest story about the mistakes of youth and the consequences that you can't outrun through time nor money. It's a heartbreaking story of pain, loss, redemption and how people stumble through life, often making poor choices, in an attempt to grow up and find love and happiness, to build a life of memories and how others may be impacted by your path to old age, wisdom and acceptance of responsibility for the resulting consequences. It's masterfully written in a flowing tale that keeps you engaged by the sheer unexpected honesty and the unfolding actions of a frivolous and foolish youth upon people who thought they were beyond the perils of the ignorance of youth. It's real and difficult to read at times, to see the authentic pain in someone's heart as it's represented in this tale...and not just the pain of the innocent victims but what happens when a person is faced with the cold, hard truth of who they are and questions of how to mend the tears they have rent into the lives of the people around them...their family and friends. Is redemption possible? How do you heal such deep hurts and disappointments? Can you survive the price you have to pay for those choices? Can you really change who you've always been? This book explores all those questions in a flowing tale that you're unlikely to ever forget!
This isn't some action packed, psychological thriller or murder mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. It's sooo much MORE than that!! This is an unflinchingly honest story about the mistakes of youth and the consequences that you can't outrun through time nor money. It's a heartbreaking story of pain, loss, redemption and how people stumble through life, often making poor choices, in an attempt to grow up and find love and happiness, to build a life of memories and how others may be impacted by your path to old age, wisdom and acceptance of responsibility for the resulting consequences. It's masterfully written in a flowing tale that keeps you engaged by the sheer unexpected honesty and the unfolding actions of a frivolous and foolish youth upon people who thought they were beyond the perils of the ignorance of youth. It's real and difficult to read at times, to see the authentic pain in someone's heart as it's represented in this tale...and not just the pain of the innocent victims but what happens when a person is faced with the cold, hard truth of who they are and questions of how to mend the tears they have rent into the lives of the people around them...their family and friends. Is redemption possible? How do you heal such deep hurts and disappointments? Can you survive the price you have to pay for those choices? Can you really change who you've always been? This book explores all those questions in a flowing tale that you're unlikely to ever forget!
July 23, 2020
True to human nature
I won't write a review that gives a synopsis of the story, as amazon/the publisher has already provided that.
Pros: Awesome depictions of people in their 70's on. Life doesn't stop after so many decades, people don't stop growing and learning.
Also great descriptions of life in the late 1960's.
Well edited. No sloppy miss spellings or bad grammar. Extended vocabulary.
Endearing and funny.
Realistic take on human nature.
Knowable characters. Aithentic.
Cons: I found the writing to be a bit stilted. I was reminded by some of the dialogue that I was reading a book. It didn't always "flow"
Like most books about people in their 70's, the characters are way too active and limber. They climbed mountains in record time in this book, yet used a came to walk across the yard. Maybe in those times, when food was healthier? Still, I don't recall my farming grandparents being that nimble and vigorous at that age.
Overall, a nice read.
I won't write a review that gives a synopsis of the story, as amazon/the publisher has already provided that.
Pros: Awesome depictions of people in their 70's on. Life doesn't stop after so many decades, people don't stop growing and learning.
Also great descriptions of life in the late 1960's.
Well edited. No sloppy miss spellings or bad grammar. Extended vocabulary.
Endearing and funny.
Realistic take on human nature.
Knowable characters. Aithentic.
Cons: I found the writing to be a bit stilted. I was reminded by some of the dialogue that I was reading a book. It didn't always "flow"
Like most books about people in their 70's, the characters are way too active and limber. They climbed mountains in record time in this book, yet used a came to walk across the yard. Maybe in those times, when food was healthier? Still, I don't recall my farming grandparents being that nimble and vigorous at that age.
Overall, a nice read.
November 11, 2022
This book wasn't exactly what I was expecting. This was a story about friendships and testing those friendships. It was a story about the good and evil that some people are capable of. It is a story about love and testing that love. It was so well written that I didn't want to put it down. And threaded through the story was a huge amount of suspense that quite frankly took me by surprise. I think the characters were quite well written and I found myself angry with them and liking them almost at the same time.
I would recommend this book. I have already started the last book in the series with the hope that it is as good as the first two.
I would recommend this book. I have already started the last book in the series with the hope that it is as good as the first two.
April 12, 2020
I gave the book two stars, but not sure it even deserves that. The author has a good writing style, set the chapters up. But... the entire book is about an eighty year old man who spent his entire life lying, cheating, carousing, drinking, fighting and destroying the lives of his friends, his marriage and his child. I finished the book and IMHO it ends wrong. There is no ending with the main character. His money or use thereof, does make it a redeeming quality in his life. I am sorry that I even started the book based on the preview.
October 17, 2023
I chose this book because the setting was relatively local to me. It took three tries to get past the first chapter and into the actual story. The characters seemed unbelievable and rather flat, and I grew weary of hearing about Billy's early conquests and how he regretted them so deeply. And the whole marriage between Billy and what's-her-name at the end just stretched my ability to suspend reality and believe anything about the attraction. And the continuing stupid choices made by several characters frustrated me.
The writing itself was good, as was syntax.
The writing itself was good, as was syntax.
June 24, 2025
Friends for life
4 life-long friends face their later years with all the secrets, failures, and troubles their lives lived through. Their misdeeds and lies, even the lies of omissions, nearly destroyed the friendship. But through unspoken love of that friendship, they each came to the conclusion that even through all of life's mistakes, love is the only thing worth fighting for.
4 life-long friends face their later years with all the secrets, failures, and troubles their lives lived through. Their misdeeds and lies, even the lies of omissions, nearly destroyed the friendship. But through unspoken love of that friendship, they each came to the conclusion that even through all of life's mistakes, love is the only thing worth fighting for.
August 15, 2017
Great book
The writing was like poetry no wasted words. This. book was on my kindle for months. sure glad I started reading it. The main story is about people in their seventies that have secrets from .fifty years ago they the saying your sins will find you out. Sorry of redemption love it you want a fast excellent read here it is !!!!!!
The writing was like poetry no wasted words. This. book was on my kindle for months. sure glad I started reading it. The main story is about people in their seventies that have secrets from .fifty years ago they the saying your sins will find you out. Sorry of redemption love it you want a fast excellent read here it is !!!!!!
March 15, 2020
This book is about romance but not really a romance. A bittersweet story of old friendships gone to hell. A dramatic story of survival, infidelity, and just life in general in the late 1960’s. My go to read between my big epic fantasy novels. Old Wounds to the Heart did not disappoint. Excellent story telling.
July 11, 2020
Keeps you guessing all the way til the end
The main characters were quite real, though I wanted to know more about why Toby never married. The settings were well articulated and a great way to convey the story with weather, roads, and rough places. I was left with many unanswered questions yet found a decent satisfaction with the ending.
The main characters were quite real, though I wanted to know more about why Toby never married. The settings were well articulated and a great way to convey the story with weather, roads, and rough places. I was left with many unanswered questions yet found a decent satisfaction with the ending.
May 27, 2019
A really enjoyable book
This book was good on many levels. The characterization was very good. I liked the characters the best. The characters were flawed but they were believable. I came to like them in spite of their defects.
This book was good on many levels. The characterization was very good. I liked the characters the best. The characters were flawed but they were believable. I came to like them in spite of their defects.
December 3, 2020
Past Meets Present in a Healing Journey
A story full of meaning as past catches up to present times. Old transgressions surface and conflicts must be sorted, relationships reevaluated. Romance blooms and grows as issues are worked through.
A story full of meaning as past catches up to present times. Old transgressions surface and conflicts must be sorted, relationships reevaluated. Romance blooms and grows as issues are worked through.
June 29, 2017
Really liked the first book in the series...this one just didn't meet my expectations.
July 26, 2019
A real treat to read such a talented writer. I hope he puts out more of the same! He makes yester year come alive like none other. City slickers need a good dose of Oder!
December 9, 2019
Old Wounds to the Heart review
Old Wounds to the Heart is the second excellent book in the Whippoorwill Hollow series written by author Ken Oder.
Old Wounds to the Heart is the second excellent book in the Whippoorwill Hollow series written by author Ken Oder.
December 3, 2021
This new series is a switch in that rather than the same characters recurr in subsequent books, it is the setting and culture which has the starring role.
April 14, 2024
Captivating story
May 29, 2016
It's Thanksgiving and 80 year old Billy Kirby is looking back at his life and realizing what a jerk he was. His poor late wife suffered thru his many affairs. His son, a chip of the old block, is currently in jail and extremely angry at his father who put him there.
Billy's grandson was also on the same road as his father but some miracle he found another path to go on. Billy regrets everything he has done but mostly he regrets letting the girl he loved get away. Suddenly, Billy is kidnapped by a mask man. There is a struggle but Billy is no match for the masked man.
Now, in another part of town, Billy's friends Sheriff Toby Vess and Stogie Morris are hunting. Well, that was the plan but then alcohol came to the picture and two are swapping tales. The fourth member of the group is Amos Hukstep, shy man with a temper. Toby and Stogie stopped by Billy's store where they learned from Billy's grandson that Billy hasn't come to the store all day.
The three men go up to Billy's house where they find signs of a struggle.
Back to Billy who figures out who the masked man is. No other then Amos. Meanwhile Amos's wife Jolene is at Billy's house, asking about her husband. Toby realizes who took Billy and knows fully well about Amos's temper. Wasting no time, Toby and Stogie figured out where Amos took Billy and hope to find the two men alive.
They do find the men alive but Billy stops Toby from arresting Amos. Claiming that Amos has saved him from the masked man. Both Toby and Stogie realized that he is lying. Jolene shows up but Amos wants nothing to do with her. He is deeply hurt by the affair that his beloved Jo had with Billy who accidently lets out that he had affairs with both of Stogie's late wives.
Jolene is heartbroken that Amos doesn't forgive her. Billy is overjoy with the fact that he may get a chance to sweep Jolene off her feet. It is too late. Jolene loves her husband and wants nothing to do with Billy who now knows that his son is released from prison.
It is only when Jolene is threatened by Billy's son , does Amos spring into action. The two reconciled and Jolene learns a bit about Amos's past and why he is the way he is.
Billy's grandson was also on the same road as his father but some miracle he found another path to go on. Billy regrets everything he has done but mostly he regrets letting the girl he loved get away. Suddenly, Billy is kidnapped by a mask man. There is a struggle but Billy is no match for the masked man.
Now, in another part of town, Billy's friends Sheriff Toby Vess and Stogie Morris are hunting. Well, that was the plan but then alcohol came to the picture and two are swapping tales. The fourth member of the group is Amos Hukstep, shy man with a temper. Toby and Stogie stopped by Billy's store where they learned from Billy's grandson that Billy hasn't come to the store all day.
The three men go up to Billy's house where they find signs of a struggle.
Back to Billy who figures out who the masked man is. No other then Amos. Meanwhile Amos's wife Jolene is at Billy's house, asking about her husband. Toby realizes who took Billy and knows fully well about Amos's temper. Wasting no time, Toby and Stogie figured out where Amos took Billy and hope to find the two men alive.
They do find the men alive but Billy stops Toby from arresting Amos. Claiming that Amos has saved him from the masked man. Both Toby and Stogie realized that he is lying. Jolene shows up but Amos wants nothing to do with her. He is deeply hurt by the affair that his beloved Jo had with Billy who accidently lets out that he had affairs with both of Stogie's late wives.
Jolene is heartbroken that Amos doesn't forgive her. Billy is overjoy with the fact that he may get a chance to sweep Jolene off her feet. It is too late. Jolene loves her husband and wants nothing to do with Billy who now knows that his son is released from prison.
It is only when Jolene is threatened by Billy's son , does Amos spring into action. The two reconciled and Jolene learns a bit about Amos's past and why he is the way he is.
August 24, 2015
Oder has done it again! Old Wounds of the Heart is masterfully crafted, brimming with the sort of spellbinding wisdom that takes your breath away. Cast from characters who could easily be our friends and family, this story confronts the darker side of human nature with unflinching precision. It reveals that the line dividing right from wrong isn’t always clearly defined, that an undeniable symbiosis exists between joy and heartache. Oder’s ability to capture our innate vulnerability with such authenticity is simply astounding. If this book doesn’t speak to you, you’re simply not listening.
January 15, 2016
Thank you Shelf awareness for the free ARC. This is a great book to read. This book has sad times, scary times, parts of this book breaks your heart and other parts makes your heart warm. It has some very sad things that happen as well as good things. It makes you wonder how some people stay friends after all they do is hurt other people when they're young. Then they get old and they are friends with the same people they hurt. . This book had no problem keeping my attention.
April 1, 2016
The bittersweet story of a group of 70 and 80 year old townspeople who look back on their lives and remember the pain that they brought to one another. Beautifully written with wonderful characters who you can identify with. I would recommend this book to everyone. It is a terrific read and well worth your precious time.
September 7, 2015
Old Wounds is a quiet, beautiful book that I enjoyed immensely. I'd already read his first novel, The Closing (great), so I was expected another legal thriller. These books were night and day, but I highly recommend both! Ken Oder has a great range, and I look forward to more novels from him.
January 21, 2016
Wow!
This book is a rare treasure. Hated for it to end. Waiting for the next one. No one is too old to have a second chance.
This book is a rare treasure. Hated for it to end. Waiting for the next one. No one is too old to have a second chance.
February 17, 2016
Old Wounds
A simple story of love and heartbreak with a few whacky characters. I loved the writing and enjoyed reading this book.
A simple story of love and heartbreak with a few whacky characters. I loved the writing and enjoyed reading this book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews