Out Of Season

by Robert Bausch

Four characters burdened by the past intersect at a fading resort town when County Sheriff David Caldwell is called in to restore the order destroyed by the town bully, Cecil Edwards-a giant of a man who operates the Ferris wheel. Caldwell must also face the sorrow that has been his daily companion when he reunites with his son, Todd, who has been in prison for the accidental death of his brother. During this reconciliation, Todd meets a mysterious young woman, Lindsey, who is searching for her long-lost brother and finds a love she never knew possible.

With the intensity of a Shakespearean tragedy, these four people are drawn into the gravitational pull of family. Robert Bausch draws on the heartbreaking energy of families in distress like no other writer, and Out of Season resonates with the purity of redemption in the face of irretrievable losses.

Genres: Fiction

367 pages, Hardcover

First published September 12, 2005

About the author

Robert Bausch was a college professor and novelist in Virginia.

Reviews

[Larry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was tempted to put this one down several times, but the story grabbed me, even if the characters mostly annoyed me.  Sheriff David Caldwell arrives in Columbia Beach, a fading Maryland boardwalk town on a dual purpose mission: to open up the long shuttered sheriff’s department and to re-connect with his estranged son, Todd.  Todd was in prison for causing the accidental death of his brother, Bobby when they were very young boys, a tragedy that has virtually destroyed the Caldwell family.  But the town is having troubles of its own.  A local bully named Cecil is creating fear and loathing among the residents, at least for the only 5 people who apparently live in Columbia Beach.  
Much of the book is spent on:
*the painfully awkward scenes and conversations with Caldwell and son as they attempt to fix their damaged relationship (lots of frustrating 'failure to communicate' type dialogue), 
*the painfully awkward scenes with the four men who plan and plot strategies on how to deal with Cecil,
*and the painfully awkward scenes with hotel owner, Clary and his wife Judy trying to figure out what is wrong with their marriage.
The bright spot is young Lindsey Hunter, Cecil’s heretofore unknown sister, who arrives in town looking for family and bringing a little goodness to these troubled souls.

[bob walenski · Rating 4 out of 5]

I rated this book higher than I first thought I would, because I doubt I'd recommend it to many people. Not that it was bad.....Quite the contrary it was very well written and crafted, with a tight, circular plot that stayed on point and never wavered. It also had interesting characters that I got to know and truly cared about. What's not to like about a book like that?
It was just so heartbreakingly sad! It was a story about profound loss, empathy, forgiveness, guilt and recrimination. There was so much pain and anguish and silence here. Each character was similarly flawed, and they all learned from one another's pain and heartache. The constant echoes that pain and doubt cause were reinforced as a new tragedy unfolded that paralleled the opening situation of the story.
The story did end on a positive note, but it was the final drop of anguished joy you could wring out of a tear soaked rag. It avoided being maudlin, but was powerful and palpable. IF you want to delve into a deeply profound story of loss, pain and final forgiveness this novel might help you find it. It's guaranteed to give your emotions a roller coaster ride!

[Sheila Myers · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the plot of the story and the characters, but there's more to writing than those two thing. There were places the story became confusing because the author moves from what is occurring in the present with what happened in the past without providing story breaks or good transitions. He also writes the actions and sometimes the dialogue of two characters within the same paragraph, which also leads to some confusion.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not a real happy story; lots of angst within the family who lost their youngest son due to an accident caused by the older son and lots of angst among commerce interests in a dying community. But the story also contains faint glimmers of hope. I just started a second Bausch novel (Far as the Eye Can See) with a completely different historical setting. I like the way he writes.

[Jennifer Jennings · Rating 3 out of 5]

sad, but good

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots to chew on in this thought-provoking story of love and forgiveness. I cannot imagine the heartbreak of losing a child -- and on top of that, to lose the child due to an accident caused by another of your children. Then the heartbreak of the child who caused the accident and believes his father thinks it might not have been an accident. It seems impossible to imagine. Yet that's what Robert Bausch attempts, I think successfully, to do.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author does an amazing job at describing the characters' background and perspectives. He portrays the pains in each person's history to explain why they are how they are now. I didn't want the book to end because I was left wondering how the main characters' lives turned out. I also really liked the small Virginia beach town setting.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adult novel that I liked, but my kids don't. Working to restore order to his small-resort town after a local bully's latest outburst, county sheriff David Caldwell struggles to reunite with his son, who has been in prison for the accidental death of his brother; and finds unexpected love with a mysterious young woman who is searching for a missing family member.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story about the nature of connections and family, estrangement, hope, and the redemptive power of love.

[Yuliana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Love this man.

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story about conflicts between a father and son. A good read.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful writing, a heartbreaking book...I seem to like these...father and son story, as well as the story of a small town...and the way we all miss such crucial things about each other.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and the fact that it was set in an area I am familiar with made it even better. I can't wait to read the rest of his stuff.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this story of love and forgiveness after the unthinkable occurs in a family. It kept me up reading to see how it would end, and I wish there were a sequel.

[Nance · Rating 2 out of 5]

A story about men making poor, poor choices. Campbell I really tried to sympathize with but I got tired of reading about him "breathing down his grief".