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And It Will Be A Beautiful Life
Max Wendt has a family . . . but it's sliding sideways, and he has been complicit in its faltering. His wife and his daughter have pulled away from him amid his frequent absences, leaving him to bridge the distance between what he remembers and the way things are now.
Max Wendt has a job . . . but it carries him away from home most of the time, and its dynamics are quickly changing. There's a surprising new hire on his pipeline crew, strife among coworkers, and a boss whose proclivities put everything in peril.
Max Wendt has a friend . . . but this odd man Max meets during his travels perplexes him, prods him, pushes him, and annoys him. He sees something in Max that Max can't see in himself, and he's holding tight to his own pain.
Max Wendt has a problem . . . More than one, in fact, and those problems are flying at him with increasing velocity. Can someone who has spent his life going with the flow arrest his own destructive inertia, rebuild his relationships, and find a better way?
Max Wendt has a job . . . but it carries him away from home most of the time, and its dynamics are quickly changing. There's a surprising new hire on his pipeline crew, strife among coworkers, and a boss whose proclivities put everything in peril.
Max Wendt has a friend . . . but this odd man Max meets during his travels perplexes him, prods him, pushes him, and annoys him. He sees something in Max that Max can't see in himself, and he's holding tight to his own pain.
Max Wendt has a problem . . . More than one, in fact, and those problems are flying at him with increasing velocity. Can someone who has spent his life going with the flow arrest his own destructive inertia, rebuild his relationships, and find a better way?
- GenresFictionAdultContemporary
368 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 11, 2021
12 people are currently reading
94 people want to read
About the author
Craig Lancaster
29 books428 followersWhen Craig Lancaster moved to Montana in 2006, at the age of 36, it was the realization of a dream he’d harbored since childhood, one that he figured had been overtaken by events, as so many dreams are.
“I have these incredibly vivid memories of visiting Montana with my folks on family vacations, and following my dad, an itinerant laborer who worked in the oil and gas fields of the West when I was a kid,” Lancaster says. “It was such a vast, beautiful, overwhelming place. From the first time I saw Montana, I wanted to be a part of it.”
Craig was born on February 9th, 1970, in Lakewood, Washington. Adopted at birth, he grew up in suburban Fort Worth, Texas, with his mother and stepfather and siblings. His stepfather, Charles Clines, was a longtime sportswriter at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, a connection that led to Craig’s career as a journalist, a profession he followed to a series of newspaper jobs across the country — Texas, Alaska, Kentucky, Ohio, Washington, California and, finally, Montana.
A couple of years after Craig’s arrival in the Big Sky State, he began chasing another long-held dream: that of writing novels. His first completed novel, 600 Hours of Edward, was born in the crucible of National Novel Writing Month, that every-November free-for-all of furious writing. He completed an entire first draft, nearly 80,000 words, in November 2008. In October 2009, it was published by Riverbend Publishing of Helena, Montana, and has since gone on to be selected as a Montana Honor Book and a High Plains Book Award winner.
His follow-up, The Summer Son, was released in January 2011 by AmazonEncore, to similar acclaim. Booklist called the new novel “a classic western tale of rough lives and gruff, dangerous men, of innocence betrayed and long, stumbling journeys to love.”
Lancaster’s work delves deeply below the surface of its characters, teasing out the desires and motivations that lead us through our lives.
“It’s all too easy to turn people into caricatures, but the truth is, we humans are pretty damned fascinating,” he says. “For me, fiction is a way at getting at truth. I use it to examine the world around me, the things that disturb me, the questions I have about life — whether my own or someone else’s. My hope is that someone reading my work will have their own emotional experience and bring their own thoughts to what they read on the page. When I’m asked what my stories mean, my inclination is turn the question around: What do they mean to you?”
“I have these incredibly vivid memories of visiting Montana with my folks on family vacations, and following my dad, an itinerant laborer who worked in the oil and gas fields of the West when I was a kid,” Lancaster says. “It was such a vast, beautiful, overwhelming place. From the first time I saw Montana, I wanted to be a part of it.”
Craig was born on February 9th, 1970, in Lakewood, Washington. Adopted at birth, he grew up in suburban Fort Worth, Texas, with his mother and stepfather and siblings. His stepfather, Charles Clines, was a longtime sportswriter at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, a connection that led to Craig’s career as a journalist, a profession he followed to a series of newspaper jobs across the country — Texas, Alaska, Kentucky, Ohio, Washington, California and, finally, Montana.
A couple of years after Craig’s arrival in the Big Sky State, he began chasing another long-held dream: that of writing novels. His first completed novel, 600 Hours of Edward, was born in the crucible of National Novel Writing Month, that every-November free-for-all of furious writing. He completed an entire first draft, nearly 80,000 words, in November 2008. In October 2009, it was published by Riverbend Publishing of Helena, Montana, and has since gone on to be selected as a Montana Honor Book and a High Plains Book Award winner.
His follow-up, The Summer Son, was released in January 2011 by AmazonEncore, to similar acclaim. Booklist called the new novel “a classic western tale of rough lives and gruff, dangerous men, of innocence betrayed and long, stumbling journeys to love.”
Lancaster’s work delves deeply below the surface of its characters, teasing out the desires and motivations that lead us through our lives.
“It’s all too easy to turn people into caricatures, but the truth is, we humans are pretty damned fascinating,” he says. “For me, fiction is a way at getting at truth. I use it to examine the world around me, the things that disturb me, the questions I have about life — whether my own or someone else’s. My hope is that someone reading my work will have their own emotional experience and bring their own thoughts to what they read on the page. When I’m asked what my stories mean, my inclination is turn the question around: What do they mean to you?”
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March 29, 2021
Review also posted on the Blog: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...
Max Wendt works in Pipeline Transportation on the PIG using Pipeline Inspection Gauges to inspect and perform maintenance on pipelines. This work often takes him away from home and away from his wife and his daughter Alexandria, for days on end.
As his marriage is failing, and his daughter is all grown up, Max prefers it. In this course of his travels, Max meets Charles, who becomes a friend, and the two begin corresponding about the meaning of life. Max also gets to know Alicia, a new hire on the PIG and he is given the responsibility of training her. The first woman to be hired for the job, tensions run high, and yet, he and Alicia bond, even though she’s his daughter’s age.
“And It Will Be a Beautiful Life” is a novel of self-discovery, searching for what’s next, and searching for the answers, which are not always right in front of us, even if they seem like they are supposed to be. While reading this novel, I admittedly learned a lot more about pigging than I wanted to and had ever planned to. As Max spent more time working than anything else, I think that was intentional. While the art of pigging didn’t grip me, I did enjoy the interactions between Max and his colleague Alicia and really enjoyed the relationship that developed between them. All in all, however, I enjoyed this novel and appreciated the life lessons included herein.
3.25 stars
Thank you to The Story Plant and NetGalley for the arc.
Published to Goodreads, Twitter and Instagram.
Max Wendt works in Pipeline Transportation on the PIG using Pipeline Inspection Gauges to inspect and perform maintenance on pipelines. This work often takes him away from home and away from his wife and his daughter Alexandria, for days on end.
As his marriage is failing, and his daughter is all grown up, Max prefers it. In this course of his travels, Max meets Charles, who becomes a friend, and the two begin corresponding about the meaning of life. Max also gets to know Alicia, a new hire on the PIG and he is given the responsibility of training her. The first woman to be hired for the job, tensions run high, and yet, he and Alicia bond, even though she’s his daughter’s age.
“And It Will Be a Beautiful Life” is a novel of self-discovery, searching for what’s next, and searching for the answers, which are not always right in front of us, even if they seem like they are supposed to be. While reading this novel, I admittedly learned a lot more about pigging than I wanted to and had ever planned to. As Max spent more time working than anything else, I think that was intentional. While the art of pigging didn’t grip me, I did enjoy the interactions between Max and his colleague Alicia and really enjoyed the relationship that developed between them. All in all, however, I enjoyed this novel and appreciated the life lessons included herein.
3.25 stars
Thank you to The Story Plant and NetGalley for the arc.
Published to Goodreads, Twitter and Instagram.
June 24, 2021
Max Wendt loves his job as a pig tracker, monitoring signals from a pipeline inspection gauge, or pig, as it moves slowly through an oil pipeline, gathering data. He loves flying from his home in Billings, Montana to mobilization sites such as Tonawanda, New York and Moberly, Missouri, for jobs of varying duration, and he loves living in Comfort Inns and eating lots of unhealthy food at chain restaurants. Max also loves his wife, Janine, and their married daughter, Alexandra, who together manage a growing real estate empire.
This is the story of how the pressure that has built up over many years, due to conflict among the handful of prosaic elements described above, explodes into a full-blown midlife crisis for Max, whose character is revealed through the telling details of his daily activities, his phone calls, and his e-mails.
I don't remember a novel about a contemporary, middle-class, working guy's feelings and problems, that wasn't brooding, usually exuding fumes of alcohol, as it headed toward an apocalyptic conclusion. This was a nice change.
This is the story of how the pressure that has built up over many years, due to conflict among the handful of prosaic elements described above, explodes into a full-blown midlife crisis for Max, whose character is revealed through the telling details of his daily activities, his phone calls, and his e-mails.
I don't remember a novel about a contemporary, middle-class, working guy's feelings and problems, that wasn't brooding, usually exuding fumes of alcohol, as it headed toward an apocalyptic conclusion. This was a nice change.
May 29, 2021
I have loved Craig Lancaster's other books, and I really enjoyed this one, however I didn't fall in love with it.
Max has a wife and daughter who he loves, but really doesn't spend much time with, as his job takes him all over the country much of the time.
Max loves his job, although it's not one most people know about. His neighbour took him on 'chasing the pig' or simply put tracking equipment down pipelines, and after a rough beginning, Max found he loved the work and had a real aptitude for it - staying in hotels, flying all over the country, and going home to change clothes - he even enjoyed the night shift.
When Max's life takes some unpredictable turns, he isn't sure if it's the beginning of the end or the end of the beginning. One thing is for sure - that it will be a beautiful life!
Max has a wife and daughter who he loves, but really doesn't spend much time with, as his job takes him all over the country much of the time.
Max loves his job, although it's not one most people know about. His neighbour took him on 'chasing the pig' or simply put tracking equipment down pipelines, and after a rough beginning, Max found he loved the work and had a real aptitude for it - staying in hotels, flying all over the country, and going home to change clothes - he even enjoyed the night shift.
When Max's life takes some unpredictable turns, he isn't sure if it's the beginning of the end or the end of the beginning. One thing is for sure - that it will be a beautiful life!
June 8, 2021
A lot of us will recognize Max Wendt in our lives — or in ourselves: the person whose continental drift through life into the muddiest middlest of middle age has created a complacency that forces others to move around him in order to keep breathing. In this case, the career-long "pig tracker" whose job tracking pipelines all over the back roads of the United States has put so much distance between he and his wife that she's forced to map her own route.
That split opens other fissures in Max that force him to realize that as much as he might wish otherwise, he's a victim of no one but himself. To the extent that he needs to see himself as a victim, that is. Folks old and new in Max's life — a new female pig tracker on his team, his wiser-than-he is daughter, a chance acquaintance in an airport that becomes a surprisingly close friend, a host of others — help him see where he drifted off course, and how he can steer back on. But in Craig Lancaster capable and clear eyes, nothing will come easy, and the reader will be infinitely grateful for each stumbling step he takes, because they all go forward, sometimes a lot and sometimes a very little.
AND IT WILL BE A BEAUTIFUL LIFE is a celebration of the obstacles that make the finish line so sweet when it finally comes. This is no heroic hagiography of the middle-age sad sack as misbegotten hero. It is the triumph of tiny epiphanies, that, when accumulated in sufficient amount over sufficient hard-knock time, leads something you stand on tall enough to see what you've been missing for so long.
(One of my favorite things in any novel is seeing men — and women ‚— at work, feeling like I'm learning a trade and its secret language as I go, and I found the world of pig tracking to be infinitely fascinating, a metaphor for human drift as a powerful as that of, say, long-haul trucking, or cattle driving, book touring or drug running. We are all chasing our own pigs, as it turns out. The question is how well we track it, and whether the tracking is worth the trouble. It's a question that casts a pleasurable shadow over every passage and page of this outstanding novel.
That split opens other fissures in Max that force him to realize that as much as he might wish otherwise, he's a victim of no one but himself. To the extent that he needs to see himself as a victim, that is. Folks old and new in Max's life — a new female pig tracker on his team, his wiser-than-he is daughter, a chance acquaintance in an airport that becomes a surprisingly close friend, a host of others — help him see where he drifted off course, and how he can steer back on. But in Craig Lancaster capable and clear eyes, nothing will come easy, and the reader will be infinitely grateful for each stumbling step he takes, because they all go forward, sometimes a lot and sometimes a very little.
AND IT WILL BE A BEAUTIFUL LIFE is a celebration of the obstacles that make the finish line so sweet when it finally comes. This is no heroic hagiography of the middle-age sad sack as misbegotten hero. It is the triumph of tiny epiphanies, that, when accumulated in sufficient amount over sufficient hard-knock time, leads something you stand on tall enough to see what you've been missing for so long.
(One of my favorite things in any novel is seeing men — and women ‚— at work, feeling like I'm learning a trade and its secret language as I go, and I found the world of pig tracking to be infinitely fascinating, a metaphor for human drift as a powerful as that of, say, long-haul trucking, or cattle driving, book touring or drug running. We are all chasing our own pigs, as it turns out. The question is how well we track it, and whether the tracking is worth the trouble. It's a question that casts a pleasurable shadow over every passage and page of this outstanding novel.
September 26, 2022
An excellent story. The best book I’ve read in a long time.
June 21, 2021
Contains spoilers hidden by spoiler tags
Craig Lancaster showcases his incredible writing skills in this memorable, character-driven novel. It takes a great writer to write character-driven fiction about extraordinary characters (like Edward Stanton). It really takes a master to write character-driven fiction about an everyday Joe. And that's what Lancaster has done here. As with his Edward series, if someone were to ask me what this book was about, I would have a very hard time telling them. It's about a "pig-tracker" whose marriage is falling apart and who loves his daughter more than anything in the world. Sounds like garbage, doesn't it? The plot summary makes it sound dull as dirt. But it's not about the plot. It's about Max. It's about getting to know Max. I think the trickiest thing about reading great character-driven fiction that's thin on plot is that the book is incredibly boring to begin with. It only becomes more engaging as you "build a relationship" with the fictional character(s) about whom you're reading. As I progressed through this book, I did begin to look forward to coming back to it. And I had an increasingly difficult time putting it down. Last night, I bought the audiobook version just so I could listen to the last forty minutes while I had a midnight snack. I don't think this is a good choice for impatient readers or for readers who want an action-packed adventure story. You have to invest the time in to reading this book before it becomes enjoyable. I went to bed last night, having finished the book, thinking it was a four-star book. I decided in the morning that it was a five-star book for one reason: I missed Max. I was excited at the prospect of listening to more of his story while I showered. And then I was disappointed when I remembered that I had finished the book and there was no more to read.
TOTAL SPOILER FOR THE ENDING:
Craig Lancaster showcases his incredible writing skills in this memorable, character-driven novel. It takes a great writer to write character-driven fiction about extraordinary characters (like Edward Stanton). It really takes a master to write character-driven fiction about an everyday Joe. And that's what Lancaster has done here. As with his Edward series, if someone were to ask me what this book was about, I would have a very hard time telling them. It's about a "pig-tracker" whose marriage is falling apart and who loves his daughter more than anything in the world. Sounds like garbage, doesn't it? The plot summary makes it sound dull as dirt. But it's not about the plot. It's about Max. It's about getting to know Max. I think the trickiest thing about reading great character-driven fiction that's thin on plot is that the book is incredibly boring to begin with. It only becomes more engaging as you "build a relationship" with the fictional character(s) about whom you're reading. As I progressed through this book, I did begin to look forward to coming back to it. And I had an increasingly difficult time putting it down. Last night, I bought the audiobook version just so I could listen to the last forty minutes while I had a midnight snack. I don't think this is a good choice for impatient readers or for readers who want an action-packed adventure story. You have to invest the time in to reading this book before it becomes enjoyable. I went to bed last night, having finished the book, thinking it was a four-star book. I decided in the morning that it was a five-star book for one reason: I missed Max. I was excited at the prospect of listening to more of his story while I showered. And then I was disappointed when I remembered that I had finished the book and there was no more to read.
TOTAL SPOILER FOR THE ENDING:
June 27, 2021
Craig Lancaster has done it again! He knows how to write a wonderful, heartwarming story without being predictable. The characters are, in most ways, just normal people. But, little by little, you discover how special they are. You feel as though you are just a part of their day-to-day routines, then all of a sudden you know them deeply and intimately. The author has a beautiful way of taking you on a journey with the characters, to the point where they feel like your close friends. Their conversations (including the email exchanges) were insightful and funny and charming. I didn’t want to miss a single word. Do yourself a favor and read this book. You will be both entertained and inspired!
January 27, 2021
Someone once asked me why I read so much fiction. "It's not real," they said. I couldn't disagree more. In the hands of a talented author, a novel can make you laugh, make you cry, make you see the world from another’s eyes. A good novel makes you feel, and that is very real. And in the hands of Craig Lancaster, And It Will Be a Beautiful Life does just that. I don’t have much in common with pipeline man Max, or struggling mom Alicia, or flamboyant traveler Charles—but that doesn’t matter. Lancaster brings their stories to life, deftly weaving their thoughts and feelings and actions into a narrative that will sit with you long after you’ve finished reading. And that is very real indeed.
February 13, 2021
As noted in earlier in one of my reviews, a little bias needs to be shared up front: Craig is a friend and a co-worker. And a good guy.
He also writes very good books. You should read them.
He also writes very good books. You should read them.
May 8, 2021
I am a huge fan of this author, he writes the most beautiful stories. I started an arc of his latest book this morning and finished it half an hour ago, I couldn't put it down.
Max lives in Billings Montana with his wife, they have a grown up daughter Alexandra. Max is a pipeline worker and with this type of work he is away from home a lot which has put a strain on his marriage.
This is a story of family, love, heartache and friendship with many laughs along the way (I love Max's personality and sarcasm). The love he has for his daughter oozes from the pages, it's so tender and real and made me miss my dad even more.
It's a beautiful written story and I'm sure you will love it as much as me.
May 13, 2021
Certainly a very original story with much to commend it. Interesting characters and the writing is engaging as we follow Max through home and work life. However, it did seem to get rather bogged down with rather too much detail about his job which didn’t help the pace, and the very American stylised dialogue was hard to follow sometimes. Max is a thoroughly nice chap and a devoted father but, as a husband, he’s rather too absent, and he prefers it that way. A nice change from the usual but then again, for me, not as absorbing or moving as I’d like.
July 2, 2021
The characters are well-developed and likable even with their very real flaws. I would enjoy a beer with Max and Charles and feel like I’ve met Alicia before. I learned that a pig isn’t just a farm animal, slang for a cop, or a glutton, but is also a tool in the pipeline industry. I really enjoyed the book. It is so different from many of the formulaic (which are still also good) novels out there.
May 21, 2021
I have read quite a few of this author's books now and can safely say that this guy knows how to spin a yarn. He also knows how to create characters that will get under your skin, both in a good way and bad too. Oh and to complete the trifecta, he can also tug on your heartstrings along the way.
He manages to do all three in this, his latest offering, starring Max Wendt who is, well, maybe, probably, going through a bit of a mid-life crisis. Although, at the start of the book, he doesn't know that yet, well maybe he knows but doesn't want to accept it?
Max works away from home a lot. The nature of his job on the pipelines that serve the country has to be done on-site. He is part of a crew responsible for their upkeep. He thinks his life is ticking along. His wife is successful in her own right and they get along OK when they see each other. His daughter is married and she and her husband have a plan which is also going along nicely. Work is settled and he mostly gets on with his colleagues. But a chance meeting with a man in an airport makes Max stop and think, and re-evaluate. This chance encounter also coincides with shocks delivered to Max from all the stable aspects of his life; wife, daughter and work. It threatens his very existence and gets him questioning things that maybe he should have been paying more attention to along the way...
This is Max's reawakening...
I laughed, I cried, and pretty much everything in between. The story drew me in right from the start and, apart from, in my opinion, being a tad too much about pipelines, the detail of which I didn't really want to know so much about, held my attention close throughout, spitting me out at the end wholly satisfied, albeit sad to let the characters go. I especially loved the relationship between father and daughter and how real it felt - the love, the bickering, the whole shebang, despite the amount of time they spent apart.
I said that I didn't really enjoy the parts about the pipeline pigging but I guess maybe the author included those to illustrate exactly how job-centred Max had become. How work was his be-all and a bit tedious to him too? Maybe? I certainly got that impression. I still think though, even with that in mind, that those parts were a bit too detailed. Although, I am now all set should a question come up in a pub quiz...!
All in all, another winner from a very talented and well respected author. Roll on next time.
He manages to do all three in this, his latest offering, starring Max Wendt who is, well, maybe, probably, going through a bit of a mid-life crisis. Although, at the start of the book, he doesn't know that yet, well maybe he knows but doesn't want to accept it?
Max works away from home a lot. The nature of his job on the pipelines that serve the country has to be done on-site. He is part of a crew responsible for their upkeep. He thinks his life is ticking along. His wife is successful in her own right and they get along OK when they see each other. His daughter is married and she and her husband have a plan which is also going along nicely. Work is settled and he mostly gets on with his colleagues. But a chance meeting with a man in an airport makes Max stop and think, and re-evaluate. This chance encounter also coincides with shocks delivered to Max from all the stable aspects of his life; wife, daughter and work. It threatens his very existence and gets him questioning things that maybe he should have been paying more attention to along the way...
This is Max's reawakening...
I laughed, I cried, and pretty much everything in between. The story drew me in right from the start and, apart from, in my opinion, being a tad too much about pipelines, the detail of which I didn't really want to know so much about, held my attention close throughout, spitting me out at the end wholly satisfied, albeit sad to let the characters go. I especially loved the relationship between father and daughter and how real it felt - the love, the bickering, the whole shebang, despite the amount of time they spent apart.
I said that I didn't really enjoy the parts about the pipeline pigging but I guess maybe the author included those to illustrate exactly how job-centred Max had become. How work was his be-all and a bit tedious to him too? Maybe? I certainly got that impression. I still think though, even with that in mind, that those parts were a bit too detailed. Although, I am now all set should a question come up in a pub quiz...!
All in all, another winner from a very talented and well respected author. Roll on next time.
June 10, 2021
I am a huge Craig Lancaster fan. His Edward series (that started with 600 Hours of Edward) remains one of my all-time favourites, and I have really enjoyed all his other books.
And This will be a Beautiful Life is right up there among his best. It’s a gritty, sad, heartwarming, real and ultimately uplifting story.
Max slowly stole my heart. He’s an average guy in his fifties in a stalled marriage, with a daughter he loves to bits and a job he’s totally dedicated to. And who could ever forget Max’s new friend, Charles Foster Danford? He’ll stay with me for a long time. Max meets the odd older man, in a satin running suit, when they’re both stuck overnight in an airport and this encounter is to become much more significant than a mere chance meeting between strangers.
Airports and road trips make up Max’s life as he travels around for his job. And on the job is where he believes he’s the best version of himself. Max’s work involves specialised oil pipeline inspections using devices known as ‘pigs’. Pig tracking features large and fascinatingly in the story – who would have thought it was so interesting? It is also a kind of metaphor for life, which sometimes goes along swimmingly and at others goes horribly wrong.
Ripples spread through Max’s work team when his boss announces a significant change to its make-up, and a new temporary role for Max. At the same time, he’s dealt an unexpected blow on the home front.
The beauty of this book, for me, lies not only in the wonderful story of everyday people embroiled in this complicated thing called life, but also in the sheer brilliance of Lancaster’s way with words. He uses the English language with unique skill, combining words to create phrases and sentences you want to remember, and wish you’d written. He has a slightly off-centre, lateral view of the world that makes me see the world just a little differently.
The characters that people his stories are highly memorable and oh so real. And he does all this with the least amount of words. Such skill. In one short paragraph he’ll introduce you to a character that you instantly ‘get’. He obviously has an amazingly empathetic and observant understanding of human beings – how we tick, how we think, our relationships and our psyches.
Highly recommended.
And This will be a Beautiful Life is right up there among his best. It’s a gritty, sad, heartwarming, real and ultimately uplifting story.
Max slowly stole my heart. He’s an average guy in his fifties in a stalled marriage, with a daughter he loves to bits and a job he’s totally dedicated to. And who could ever forget Max’s new friend, Charles Foster Danford? He’ll stay with me for a long time. Max meets the odd older man, in a satin running suit, when they’re both stuck overnight in an airport and this encounter is to become much more significant than a mere chance meeting between strangers.
Airports and road trips make up Max’s life as he travels around for his job. And on the job is where he believes he’s the best version of himself. Max’s work involves specialised oil pipeline inspections using devices known as ‘pigs’. Pig tracking features large and fascinatingly in the story – who would have thought it was so interesting? It is also a kind of metaphor for life, which sometimes goes along swimmingly and at others goes horribly wrong.
Ripples spread through Max’s work team when his boss announces a significant change to its make-up, and a new temporary role for Max. At the same time, he’s dealt an unexpected blow on the home front.
The beauty of this book, for me, lies not only in the wonderful story of everyday people embroiled in this complicated thing called life, but also in the sheer brilliance of Lancaster’s way with words. He uses the English language with unique skill, combining words to create phrases and sentences you want to remember, and wish you’d written. He has a slightly off-centre, lateral view of the world that makes me see the world just a little differently.
The characters that people his stories are highly memorable and oh so real. And he does all this with the least amount of words. Such skill. In one short paragraph he’ll introduce you to a character that you instantly ‘get’. He obviously has an amazingly empathetic and observant understanding of human beings – how we tick, how we think, our relationships and our psyches.
Highly recommended.
May 24, 2021
If you are looking for a suspense driven, action-packed thrill then this is not the novel for you but what it does give - as Lancaster always does - is a depth of character so fully crafted that you completely immerse yourself in the life of Max Wendt and those around him.
Max has very much, a life half-lived, in more ways than one. He is a man who has never quite let himself go or really let others in, even those he cherishes the most. We meet him as his carefully controlled equilibrium is beginning to shake and the predictability of life is no longer secure. At this point he comes across two other characters who, in sharing themselves, must make Max begin to reveal himself and begin to know himself so that he may move forward rather than just follow a set route which is his usual place of comfort and, indeed, often his very reason for being.
Max's fragility is so just below the surface that you cannot help but take him into your heart; he is flawed but also a good man and in many ways it is his flaws that are also his charm.
Max has very much, a life half-lived, in more ways than one. He is a man who has never quite let himself go or really let others in, even those he cherishes the most. We meet him as his carefully controlled equilibrium is beginning to shake and the predictability of life is no longer secure. At this point he comes across two other characters who, in sharing themselves, must make Max begin to reveal himself and begin to know himself so that he may move forward rather than just follow a set route which is his usual place of comfort and, indeed, often his very reason for being.
Max's fragility is so just below the surface that you cannot help but take him into your heart; he is flawed but also a good man and in many ways it is his flaws that are also his charm.
June 2, 2021
My thanks to TBConFB reviewer group for a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.
I gave this a 3.5 stars or 7/10. It was an odd read in many ways and not the easiest of books to review. However, here is my review of it.
Max Wendt is a flawed man. He has a wife, he has a daughter, yet he's never at home due to his work and as a result of this, his family life is suffering in more ways than one. He has little or no control over what is happening at home. He is a man drowning in life and the situation that he has found himself in.
Can Max make anything of his life or is he destined like many of us are to amble along on the treadmill that forms our adult existence?
I found this quite a hard read at times. There were lengthy passages about his work, that at times I found quite tedious and maybe not necessary to the story. Yet there was something there that kept me reading as I wanted to find out what ultimately happened to Max and those around him, both his family and his work colleagues.
June 14, 2022
Max Wendt has a family . . . but it's sliding sideways, and he has been complicit in its faltering. His wife and his daughter have pulled away from him amid his frequent absences, leaving him to bridge the distance between what he remembers and the way things are now.
Max Wendt has a job . . . but it carries him away from home most of the time, and its dynamics are quickly changing. There's a surprising new hire on his pipeline crew, strife among coworkers, and a boss whose proclivities put everything in peril.
Max Wendt has a friend . . . but this odd man Max meets during his travels perplexes him, prods him, pushes him, and annoys him. He sees something in Max that Max can't see in himself, and he's holding tight to his own pain.
Max Wendt has a problem . . . More than one, in fact, and those problems are flying at him with increasing velocity. Can someone who has spent his life going with the flow arrest his own destructive inertia, rebuild his relationships, and find a better way?
Max Wendt has a job . . . but it carries him away from home most of the time, and its dynamics are quickly changing. There's a surprising new hire on his pipeline crew, strife among coworkers, and a boss whose proclivities put everything in peril.
Max Wendt has a friend . . . but this odd man Max meets during his travels perplexes him, prods him, pushes him, and annoys him. He sees something in Max that Max can't see in himself, and he's holding tight to his own pain.
Max Wendt has a problem . . . More than one, in fact, and those problems are flying at him with increasing velocity. Can someone who has spent his life going with the flow arrest his own destructive inertia, rebuild his relationships, and find a better way?
May 16, 2021
I was lucky enough to read this pre-release through THE Book Club reviewer group. This was another beautifully written book by Craig Lancaster, with realistically emotional characters that you genuinely feel like you care about.
Max is the mostly absent, but totally caring, father who has reached a recognisable point in his life where he is starting to reflect on his relationships with his wife and daughter. Along the way, between his job and family relationships, he creates a genuine friendship with an older guy he meets at an airport and a new young female work colleague. We mostly follow these relationships through emails, text messages and phone calls - this helps to emphasise how alone Max (and most of us) is and how the use of social media has taken away the human contact that we so need, yet allows us to remain in contact and sometimes say those things that we can't when face to face.
I really enjoyed this book, and will look forward to the next one.
Max is the mostly absent, but totally caring, father who has reached a recognisable point in his life where he is starting to reflect on his relationships with his wife and daughter. Along the way, between his job and family relationships, he creates a genuine friendship with an older guy he meets at an airport and a new young female work colleague. We mostly follow these relationships through emails, text messages and phone calls - this helps to emphasise how alone Max (and most of us) is and how the use of social media has taken away the human contact that we so need, yet allows us to remain in contact and sometimes say those things that we can't when face to face.
I really enjoyed this book, and will look forward to the next one.
May 10, 2021
I found this book to be a very slow read. The mass amount of information about Max's job just caused the book to drag down. I learned more about pigging than I had ever planned on learning. Max's entire life revolves around his job.
Alicia is new to Pigging, and she is working under Max. First woman in the position as far as Max knows. She's a struggling single mom. And of course, Charles a traveler that Max meets on his flight home.
There were other characters of course, but those were the ones that are important to the story.
All in all, I didn't love this book. I really think it was Max's boring job and the pure amount of information regarding that job that really did that. It was a slow read for me it just didn't keep my attention.
Give it a shot though, because it was a book about self-discovery and I feel that is always an important lesson.
Alicia is new to Pigging, and she is working under Max. First woman in the position as far as Max knows. She's a struggling single mom. And of course, Charles a traveler that Max meets on his flight home.
There were other characters of course, but those were the ones that are important to the story.
All in all, I didn't love this book. I really think it was Max's boring job and the pure amount of information regarding that job that really did that. It was a slow read for me it just didn't keep my attention.
Give it a shot though, because it was a book about self-discovery and I feel that is always an important lesson.
June 2, 2021
Max Wendt (a joke made by him about his name at each mention - nice touch) lives in Billings, Montana with his wife, has an adult daughter, who has her life mapped out. Max is a pipeline worker, and spends a lot of time working away from home - this puts a strain on his marriage.
This story is of Max dealing with life and his family, and the upsets along the way. His friendships, made on his journeys across the land for work, help Max to grow and accept life and it's ups and downs.
An emotional story, which I struggled with at first, finding the details of pipeline work a bit tedious, turned out to be a beautiful tale, sensitive and well told.
I had been asked to review this book, which I probably wouldn't have finished ordinarily, but am so pleased I persevered, as it was well work it
May 19, 2021
I consider myself a real Edward fan and was very excited to be reading the latest offering by Craig Lancaster. However, unfortunately, this book was just not for me. I found it overly full of detail of Max’s job working the pipeline and for me the writing style seemed to mirror the tedium of the job. I just was not invested in Max as a character, nor his relationships with his colleagues and friends. Having said that, it was interesting to read of Max’s gradual self-discovery and hope for the future. So while recognising this one was not for me, I am sure it will be much admired by other, more patient souls.
May 8, 2021
Craig Lancaster writes great novels and this one didn’t disappoint. The story revolves around Max and his wife and grown up daughter. Max inspects pipelines and works away from home a lot which causes tension in his home life and eventually leads to break up. Max looks back on his life and emotions with the help of a couple of people who he meets on his travels and at work, and the end is both uplifting and encouraging. I liked the book a great deal and would have given it 5* but I felt that there was too much unnecessary description of Max’s work which detracted from my enjoyment of it.
May 30, 2021
Absolutely loved this book. Others have already said what the book is about and I could do that with different words, but I would rather base my review on how I felt reading it. I have found two lockdowns difficult and lost my love of reading. However this immediately drew me in, nudging away my reluctance to read. No-one draws characters like Craig, I can visualise them, respond to their feelings, laugh and cry with them, live with them in the moment. He is a master at his craft and I highly recommend this book. Thank you Mr Lancaster!
June 13, 2021
Craig Lancaster's pen is tipped with solid gold. I mean, this man just gives us one fantastic book after another, each one as beautifully written and as engaging as the last. Now, don't get me wrong, Max Wendt is no Edward Stanhope, but he's a man in a crisis and you can't help but feel him worm his way into your heart. I loved his relationship with his daughter, Alexandra and the parallels drawn between that and his relationship with coworker, Alicia. But the one who really stole my heart was Charles Danforth, a brilliant splash of colour in Max's often grey world. A great read.
July 2, 2021
“Mind fertilizer, all of it.”
I like how Craig Lancaster puts words together. I thoroughly enjoy reading them. He really does provide things to think about. This story, like his others, is about life and how his characters are muddling through it. Max is an affable character, very human and he knows it. He’s our main character and making his way through life in his mid fifties. He’s honest and relatable and real.
The book flows very nicely. Sit down and read it but don’t try to rush through it. Max’s journey and accrued knowledge are worth savoring.
I like how Craig Lancaster puts words together. I thoroughly enjoy reading them. He really does provide things to think about. This story, like his others, is about life and how his characters are muddling through it. Max is an affable character, very human and he knows it. He’s our main character and making his way through life in his mid fifties. He’s honest and relatable and real.
The book flows very nicely. Sit down and read it but don’t try to rush through it. Max’s journey and accrued knowledge are worth savoring.
September 12, 2022
An enjoyable, but not great, book. The narrator (audiobook) was not the best. This being said, the book was good enough for me to finish despite a less than stellar narrator. I can honestly say that I knew from practically the very first chapter that Max Wendt was going to have a heart attack. Again, was this supposed to be a surprise? I say "again" because most of what I have been reading/listening to have had "twists", it is hard to pull this off when you become used to it and see it coming a mile down the road.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 26, 2023
I'm glad I read this but it is not one I will revisit. The story itself works as two strangers meet in an airport and begin a discussion on life. This takes place wrapped around Max's story. He is neither likeable nor unlikeable - simply bland. It's fairly predictable where the overall story is going but moves through with enough small twists to keep readers' interest. What bogs down is the overemphasis on the author's time theme. It makes sense as the main character works in pipeline inspection. Timing is a critical part of his job and life.
Others will and have enjoyed this one more.
Others will and have enjoyed this one more.
June 24, 2021
If I could have given it 3.75 I would have done, a definate balance between a book I throughly enjoyed but felt became a little bound in a lot of detail about Max's job and at time effected the pace of the story. However what I loved and what I always love about Craig's books is the incredible characters he creates and this is a book full of them all of which enriched the book from start to finish. Overall I enjoyed the book.
June 4, 2021
DNF
I’m all for researching a subject so that it can be written about intelligently, but this was overdone. I really didn’t need to know so much technical info about pipeline inspection. And it distracted from the story.
I got as far as 20% and gave up. The characters weren’t interesting and the story didn’t hook me, which a good story should by 20%.
I’m all for researching a subject so that it can be written about intelligently, but this was overdone. I really didn’t need to know so much technical info about pipeline inspection. And it distracted from the story.
I got as far as 20% and gave up. The characters weren’t interesting and the story didn’t hook me, which a good story should by 20%.
October 5, 2021
I liked many parts of this novel, especially the letters from Charles-such wonderful letters. They reminded me of the way my father wrote letters, not many like that these days. I just could not get overly interested in the pipeline information or the way the novel was set up but did overall enjoy Craig's writing. Loved the Max character also.
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