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Gideon's Ghost
It is the summer of 1965 and high school-bound Gary Seiler is a fourteen-year old boy with a very big problem. He's got a girlfriend named Wendy and a whole summer ahead of him to spend with her and to work on his golf game so he can try out for the varsity golf team when school starts in the fall. But his plans are upended when his father is critically injured in a car accident and Gary is sent off to spend the summer with his grandparents in Fairweather, a small town in Oklahoma where he is sure nothing good is going to happen.
Upon arrival in Fairweather Gary is met by his Uncle Bob, who is only seventeen himself, and who has plans of his own for the summer that do not include "wasting his time" with Gary. However, at the insistence of Gary's grandparents, Gary and Bob are stuck with one another and immediately embark on a series of adventures that include car races, finding the body of a murdered man in the woods and Gary's first "real" kiss, which presents him with a bigger problem than anyone could have imagined.
Along the way Gary meets a girl named Darby, who teaches him about sportsmanship, and a strange boy named Gideon, who somehow seems to have stepped out of the past. Gideon soon befriends Gary and before the summer is over, not only saves his life but also helps Gary to understand the meaning and importance of love, family and forgiveness.
Upon arrival in Fairweather Gary is met by his Uncle Bob, who is only seventeen himself, and who has plans of his own for the summer that do not include "wasting his time" with Gary. However, at the insistence of Gary's grandparents, Gary and Bob are stuck with one another and immediately embark on a series of adventures that include car races, finding the body of a murdered man in the woods and Gary's first "real" kiss, which presents him with a bigger problem than anyone could have imagined.
Along the way Gary meets a girl named Darby, who teaches him about sportsmanship, and a strange boy named Gideon, who somehow seems to have stepped out of the past. Gideon soon befriends Gary and before the summer is over, not only saves his life but also helps Gary to understand the meaning and importance of love, family and forgiveness.
179 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 24, 2019
2 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 23, 2022
Gideon’s Ghost
By Gregory Stout
Being new to young adult books, I’m glad I found Gideon’s Ghost as one of my first reads in the genre. The protagonist of the book, Gary, is a 14-year-old high-schooler with plans for a perfect summer – plans he relishes - until his father is seriously injured in a car accident.
The accident precipitates a sea change in Gary’s life. His father in hospital, his mother overwhelmed, Gary is sent away to relatives, where he experiences some of the most difficult challenges any of us, adult or teen, ever have to face. By stages he weathers the loss of a dream, murderous racial prejudice, death and the devastation and illuminations it leaves us, drunkenness, the fears and challenges of love --all plus one’s own foolishness.
Stout’s deft use of language, his tight dialog, and his ability to take on the voice of a real-life, intelligent 14-year-old make reading the book a great pleasure. I recommend Gideon’s Ghost to anyone, at whatever age, who seeks insight into the worst and the best of human behavior and courage.
Review by Libi Siporin
author of Bitter Maremma, a mystery
By Gregory Stout
Being new to young adult books, I’m glad I found Gideon’s Ghost as one of my first reads in the genre. The protagonist of the book, Gary, is a 14-year-old high-schooler with plans for a perfect summer – plans he relishes - until his father is seriously injured in a car accident.
The accident precipitates a sea change in Gary’s life. His father in hospital, his mother overwhelmed, Gary is sent away to relatives, where he experiences some of the most difficult challenges any of us, adult or teen, ever have to face. By stages he weathers the loss of a dream, murderous racial prejudice, death and the devastation and illuminations it leaves us, drunkenness, the fears and challenges of love --all plus one’s own foolishness.
Stout’s deft use of language, his tight dialog, and his ability to take on the voice of a real-life, intelligent 14-year-old make reading the book a great pleasure. I recommend Gideon’s Ghost to anyone, at whatever age, who seeks insight into the worst and the best of human behavior and courage.
Review by Libi Siporin
author of Bitter Maremma, a mystery
February 28, 2020
Greg Stout and I are fellow members in a local writing group. I was excited to read his first novel for young adults.
I enjoy historical fiction, and this book is set in the tumultuous times of the mid-1960's in my beloved home state of Missouri. It details one boy's journey of loss, connection with extended family, and growing up quickly in just a few months.
It was a quick read that I enjoyed on a Sunday afternoon. The writing style is clear and crisp, and perfectly evokes the angst of teenagers. It's a great trip to the past that speaks to the themes of racism, divided opinions, and struggles of the human heart that are similar to today's culture.
I enjoy historical fiction, and this book is set in the tumultuous times of the mid-1960's in my beloved home state of Missouri. It details one boy's journey of loss, connection with extended family, and growing up quickly in just a few months.
It was a quick read that I enjoyed on a Sunday afternoon. The writing style is clear and crisp, and perfectly evokes the angst of teenagers. It's a great trip to the past that speaks to the themes of racism, divided opinions, and struggles of the human heart that are similar to today's culture.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews