Clear Heart

by Joe Cottonwood

It's about nail guns, wet concrete, and strong women. "Funny, very tender, and enormously, tremendously human. In fact, Clear Heart just might be one of the most human books I've read in a long time." —Colleen Mondor, Bookslut . "I LOVED this book. In fact, I couldn't put it down. It's about a 55 year old ex-hippy carpenter named Wally—and the interaction between true craftsmen, their good-natured joking, routines and habits (like sometimes getting too friendly with female clients). It's male bonding at its finest, filled with endearing characters and fast-paced, nail-biting mishaps."—Kari Hesse, The Village Carpenter . "I just couldn’t put it down. It was a great read. Now I have met many of the people in Joe’s novel, quirky sub contractors, stupid clients and the like. I found myself (I believe for the first time) actually rooting for fictional characters. The book is gripping. It is a love story and so much more. I should also tell you that it is a book for adults. I wouldn’t have my (prude) sister read the book."—Stephen Shepherd, Full Chisel Clear heart is a grade of lumber - and a state of mind. In this joyful, down-to-earth novel, Wally and Juke seek clarity and good wood while building a mansion for a dot-com billionaire in California. As the dot-com's stock keeps rising, the size of the house - and the owner's ego - keep growing. Wally and Juke may be into something that's over their heads. Meanwhile, Wally and Juke meet women who have remodeling designs of their own - on them. When carpenters work for bigshots - and fall for beautiful women - who gets nailed? Romance, lifelong buddies, coming-of-age, bedrock values, all join in the warm storytelling of Clear Heart . From demolishing concrete to racing belt sanders, from love of tools to falling in love, each house is a miracle.

392 pages, Paperback

First published November 20, 2008

Reviews

[Simon C · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unusual but rather entertaining mixture of romance, carpentry and self discovery. In the audio version, Cottonwood's somewhat unique diction, where he often pauses and then emphasises the word after firmly, takes a bit of getting used to but becomes endearing. The tone does lurch at times between coy and explicit and the whole thing is a bit rambling. But the characters are likeable and the book is a love letter to craftsmanship and hard graft.

[Arlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clear Heart by Joe Cottonwood, is a story about life. Just that, life. There are no car chases or gunfights or deadly diseases, although there is one race with death that had me praying for a positive outcome.
Wally, a building contractor is just existing, each day a struggle to overcome the death of his wife as well as her betrayal. His highest hope is to create a house that is as close to perfect as possible for an impossible client, while his own life and home are in chaos.
His best friend, Juke, is a misfit with no responsibilities and seemingly no cares except to do his best work for his boss, Wally.
A fateful accident introduces Opal, the force that causes a catharsis, the healing and growing that takes place in this tale of life.
Abe, Opal's son, an immature high school grad who was accepted into Princeton until he pulled a trick on the wrong man.
And last but not least is Frog Girl, Amanda, a pregnant, seventeen-year-old run away.
Throw all these personalities into a pot and stir, add a few side characters for spice and the race to finish the perfect house as the fire. Let it stew. With these ingredients, it simmers, boils, and simmers again. Just like life.
As a member of the audience, allowed a peak into the life of these people, you are shown all the imperfections of Wally and watch as he was able to say good bye to his wife and fall in love again. Watch as Opal realizes she does not need the perfect man, a banker or lawyer for a partner. Watch as Abe and Juke both mature into men who, after being tossed around the water, floundering a bit, learn to grab hold of life and realize what is important. Watch as Frog Girl discovers the mystery and bonds with her unborn baby and makes better and stronger decisions as her life continues.
There were times I did not like the characters, just as in real-life. Some decisions were made that would not be the decisions I would have made, but usually, after some learning and searching, things got back on course again.
I did not like Opal very much, all the way through. I thought she learned the least and did not really understand the minor miracle that was happening in her life. But that is just like real-life, too.
Joe Cottonwood has either been a carpenter or done incredible research. The details are sometimes overwhelming, but embellish the story and add a "scent" (I could smell as well as feel the redwood).
All in all, when I finally got the very end and looked back, I was amazed at the depth of this book. A story does not always need a car chase to be an excellent tale. I really liked Clear Heart. If you listen to it Joe and Susan Walker do a very good job reading it.

Available recorded at www.podiobooks.com as a download at www.Smashwords.com and paperback in Amazon.com.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book with even better characters. This is a fictional novel that has interesting characters who leap off the pages. A really nice read by an author with allot of soul.