Empty Chairs

by Anne Davidson Keller

Joe McDowell steals coins from his mother’s change purse. Why? Because he wants things that a poor farm boy can never have. And from his point of view, it gets worse. Not only does Joe’s older brother, Ted, go to fight in World War II, but it also looks as if Joe will have to become the fourth generation McDowell man to run the farm. And maybe he doesn’t want that. But how can he let Daddy down? Will Mama help him, since she grew up in Raleigh and knows what it’s like to live somewhere else? Can the family survive the crisis that comes next?Joe pulls us into his life on the cusp of adolescence and major decisions. He must make an irrevocable choice between his personal desires and his family’s needs during a great transition in the American story.

356 pages, Paperback

Published April 4, 2017

About the author

I was born and raised in North Carolina, spending time each summer at my grandmother's house in the Blue Ridge Mountains. (Maybe you can guess where the idea for the setting of Empty Chairs emerged.) I received my BA in Psychology from UNC-Chapel Hill, and my MSSW from UW-Madison. I've lived in Madison, WI most of my adult life. I greatly enjoyed a lifetime career in mental health/psychotherapy, and retired in 2015. I've always loved to read, once I mastered the difficulty of learning to read as a child. I love fiction with complex and interesting characters who live in my head and heart like beloved family, beautiful, lyrical word-craft, and intriguing, universal stories. I began dabbling with writing during my career, took classes in creative writing from the University of Wisconsin English Department, and Writers'Institute. When I write, I have a seminal idea, then explore where the character takes the story. I'm married, with three grown children, and three grandchildren.

Reviews

[Tara]

Read on Chapter-a-Day Friday, December 29 through Friday January 19 https://www.wpr.org/programs/chapter-day

[Dan Sinclair · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was an easy read that someone who reads faster than I could have devoured in a single afternoon without even trying.

The characters are interesting and complex. I liked that you could easily put yourself in the shoes of any of them and they felt "real." By that I mean that I didn't feel like any situations they faced (challenging or everyday) were contrived for the sake of the book. I enjoyed learning the family dynamics and feeling immersed in the struggles and bonds they shared.

I also found it interesting to think about the changes the country was going through at that time (WWII) and watching them happen specifically to this farm family.

[K Flete · Rating 5 out of 5]

Told from the viewpoint of a boy on the brink of manhood, the importance of family bonds takes on new depth. How does a family stay a family when brothers and sisters, and even mom and dad question if their home on the farm is the right home for their heart? Anne Davidson Keller brought me back to that scary time in a young person's life when it dawns on us that things won't always stay the way we thought they would. She deftly gives each character real substance, whether main or walk-ons, and vividly paints the scenes of both country and city life in the 1940s war years.

[Valerie Biel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story of love and loyalty that you will not put down! A skillful portrayal of one North Carolina farm family’s struggles in the 1940s as teen children make their way into a life away from the farm with sometimes disastrous consequences for those that remain. The author has created a complex heart-tugging story with multi-layered characters that is a joy to read.

[Peggy Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

A poignant story set in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It shows how a family is affected when the oldest son is drafted during WWII. Makes me wonder how my grandparents felt when my dad was drafted and became a POW.

[Nancy Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book at a library sale. My sister read it first and loved it. I would agree - I loved it. Wonderful family story.