Roots, Branches & Buzz Saws: More Stories of August Kibler

by T.P. Graf

After August Kibler’s death, his executor and friend, Tyler Marvel-Jemison, finds a file on August’s computer that enlightens Tyler on August’s ancestral roots and earlier years before he, Johnny and Jimmy wandered into the old man’s life at the Daisy Cafe. In this collection, August expands on the people and places in his life beyond those introduced in As the Daisies Bloom. We sojourn with August from the rural Ohio township, to Indiana, down to Louisiana and finally to North Carolina. August peels back the hidden layers of a life lived in the shadows of abuse—facing his own regrets for how he might have been a better friend. He unwittingly exposes an unhealed wound from Miles’ childhood. He and Miles learn just how Maggie and Ethel from the Daisy Cafe are “joined at the hip.” We witness how time and circumstance shape lives and families and diverse friendships over a lifetime, and how the Hope Mennonite “creed” of Loving God, Loving Ourselves and Loving Others is all the creed we ever truly need.

211 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 16, 2020

Reviews

[Billy Buttons · Rating 5 out of 5]

A WISHING SHELF BOOK REVIEW
14th November 2020

TITLE: Roots, Branches and Buzz Saws
AUTHOR: T P Graf
Star Rating: 5

‘Insightful, powerful, a story of life and how it’s changed by so many tiny happenings. Highly recommended!’ A ‘Wishing Shelf’ Book Review

REVIEW
This is the story of August Kibler, a man you might have met in another book by this author. As it happens, I know the first book and, like ‘Buzz Saws’ as I will now refer to it, this is just as good, if not even better. Within this charmingly written text, you will uncover who August Kibler is (or was), how life shaped him, his regrets, even the abuse he faced, and you get to enjoy it in the context of a long lost American setting.
In terms of writing style, this novel is superb. It is very accessible with plenty of descriptive prose which is well-written and imaginative. I could almost call his writing ‘uplifting’. There is a sort of Dickens feel to it. It’s warm, cosy and always descriptive. The best way to sum it up is the first sentence of the first chapter. My mother was from firm stock. The author is also confident with dialogue(although there’s not a lot of it) with plenty of ‘showing’ and not ‘telling’, a good sign of a confident author. Finally, the author is not scared to keep a sentence short and simple where it’s needed; and, by doing so, helping to improve the pacing where speed is important.
But this is not a ‘race to the finish’ sort of novel. In this book, character is everything; the jam that holds everything together. And by following the characters, we get to understand them. How every life is enriched by who they meet, and how a life can be altered, destroyed even, by the smallest of happenings.
I thoroughly recommend this book to anybody who enjoys a story enriched with compelling characters and a simple message of love and thought for others.

A ‘Wishing Shelf’ Book Review
www.thewsa.co.uk

[Literary Reviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title of TP Graf’s book, Roots, Branches and Buzz Saws: More Stories of August Kibler immediately tells you that this isn’t the first introduction to August Kibler. It expands on his life as introduced in As Daisies Bloom. I don’t think it is necessary to have read the previous book to follow this book–and the author himself hopes that is the case.

Roots, Branches and Buzz Saws takes you back to the beginning of August’s life. It shares details of his ancestry, early years and takes you through his life, introducing you to the people he met along the way.

That Tyler discovers the story of August’s life by opening a file after his death made me think about what the story of my life would look like to other people. How would I present events that have happened to me over the years? Is everyone’s life worth reading? After reading this book, I say yes, we all have a story to tell. Here, the author makes it feel at times like we are taking a gentle meander through August’s life, but in fact it deals with some serious issues. We learn about August’s upbringing, how that shaped him, the abuse he faced, his faith and his thoughts on his faith. For me, this book reminded me that we all have our own story to tell and woven within our history we all have lessons to teach, each life is valuable. The characters we meet along the way are well rounded and memorable. I loved the way the author took me from Ohio to Indiana, to Louisiana and North Carolina. The descriptive writing brings the story to life. The book also reminds me that we shouldn’t take the simple things in life for granted, particularly if abuse and discrimination have touched your life just because of who you love. There were a few quotes in the book that stood out to me. My favorite is “Celebrate who you are, even if it is quietly…”. That is what this book is, a celebration of August’s life and a reminder to the reader to celebrate their life, who they are. What a message to impart to readers, and I hope others who read this take that message away with them.