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Night Letter
Eighteen-year-old Travis Hollister is always the stranger who comes to town.
As a twelve-year-old escaping a disordered and unhappy home and parents who loved hard but couldn't make it work, Travis left the Midwest to spend a summer with his grandparents in the Deep South. There he met Delia, the love of his life, who, tragically, was beyond his reach for two reasons—she was his aunt and she was sixteen years old. That summer made Travis guilty of crimes discovered and undiscovered. For his public wrongs, he did time, six years in a Nebraska reform school. For his undiscovered wrongs, he suffers mightily and wants desperately to be shriven. Can he achieve redemption or is he bound for the hell on earth he can imagine all too well?
Driven by his need to rejoin the human community, he becomes the stranger who arrives in Panama City, Florida, searching for Delia, the aunt who was the idol of his twelve-year-old passion. Who is she now? What have the years done to her? Will she welcome the return of Travis or fear it? What will she do about the return of the stranger she once held to her teenage heart.
Jean Paul Sartre said, "Hell is other people." In the course of this story, Travis learns that other people can also be salvation. Amid a cast of characters struggling with their own needs, desires, tragedies, and, yes, crimes, Travis finds violence, hatred, vengeance, and, in greater measure, friendship, honor, loyalty, and at least a glimpse of the road to redemption.
As a twelve-year-old escaping a disordered and unhappy home and parents who loved hard but couldn't make it work, Travis left the Midwest to spend a summer with his grandparents in the Deep South. There he met Delia, the love of his life, who, tragically, was beyond his reach for two reasons—she was his aunt and she was sixteen years old. That summer made Travis guilty of crimes discovered and undiscovered. For his public wrongs, he did time, six years in a Nebraska reform school. For his undiscovered wrongs, he suffers mightily and wants desperately to be shriven. Can he achieve redemption or is he bound for the hell on earth he can imagine all too well?
Driven by his need to rejoin the human community, he becomes the stranger who arrives in Panama City, Florida, searching for Delia, the aunt who was the idol of his twelve-year-old passion. Who is she now? What have the years done to her? Will she welcome the return of Travis or fear it? What will she do about the return of the stranger she once held to her teenage heart.
Jean Paul Sartre said, "Hell is other people." In the course of this story, Travis learns that other people can also be salvation. Amid a cast of characters struggling with their own needs, desires, tragedies, and, yes, crimes, Travis finds violence, hatred, vengeance, and, in greater measure, friendship, honor, loyalty, and at least a glimpse of the road to redemption.
Kindle Edition
First published January 31, 2023
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About the author
Sterling Watson
10 books26 followersSTERLING WATSON is the author of seven novels, including Deadly Sweet, Sweet Dream Baby, Fighting in the Shade, and Suitcase City. Watson’s short fiction and nonfiction have appeared in Prairie Schooner, the Georgia Review, the Los Angeles Times Book Review, the Michigan Quarterly Review, and the Southern Review. He was director of the creative writing program at Eckerd College for twenty years and now teaches in the Solstice MFA Program at Pine Manor College in Boston. Of his sixth novel, Suitcase City, Tom Franklin said, “If this taut literary crime novel doesn’t center Sterling Watson on the map, we should change maps.” Watson lives in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Committee is his latest novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
January 17, 2023
Incarcerated in Bridgedale School for Boys at the age of twelve, Travis Hollister spent six years of his life learning to hide his true feelings and becoming [in the words of staff psychiatrist Doctor Janeway] an institutionalized personality. But he’s eighteen now and will finally be set free.
Having managed to keep his secrets, especially those concerning his Aunt Delia, he hitchhikes from Nebraska to San Francisco, where he searches for his mother. But he soon discovers there is no place for him there. Leaving California [and his mother] behind, Travis hitchhikes to Panama City, Florida, where, as a twelve-year-old, he spent a summer with his Aunt Delia. He wonders how much she’s changed and if she will be glad to see him after so many years have passed.
Settling into a ramshackle tourist cabin at the Wind Motel, run by widow Sandralene Reddick, Travis takes a busboy job at Big Sam’s Shrimp and Slaw; here he meets fry cook Emil Bontemps, destined to become a staunch friend, and dishwasher Jimmy Danes, with whom he has a far less friendly relationship. A chance encounter with Dawnell Briscoe adds to the unsettledness Travis feels as he negotiates the vagaries of his new “learning-as-I-go” life.
What does the future hold for Travis? Will Delia play a part in it? And what of Dawnell?
=========
This captivating and incisive story, told from Travis’s point of view, takes readers to the panhandle of Florida in the early 1960s. There’s a strong sense of place anchoring the telling of the tale, but the complex, well-drawn characters are the strength of the narrative. Although this is, in many ways, Travis’s coming-of-age story, readers will find the unfolding story to be both compelling and, at times, opprobrious.
The question of whether one can escape the events of the past is a central theme in the narrative; Travis’s search for a better place keeps readers guessing as to what will ultimately befall the young man. As the plot twists and turns, precipitant events take the story in unforeseen directions.
In an evolving story filled with struggles, regrets, and tragedy, Travis finds friendship, honor, and loyalty amid the violence and hatred that unexpectedly rears its ugly head. Readers will find it difficult to set this one aside before turning the final page and learning if the redemption Travis desperately seeks will become his at last.
Highly recommended.
Having managed to keep his secrets, especially those concerning his Aunt Delia, he hitchhikes from Nebraska to San Francisco, where he searches for his mother. But he soon discovers there is no place for him there. Leaving California [and his mother] behind, Travis hitchhikes to Panama City, Florida, where, as a twelve-year-old, he spent a summer with his Aunt Delia. He wonders how much she’s changed and if she will be glad to see him after so many years have passed.
Settling into a ramshackle tourist cabin at the Wind Motel, run by widow Sandralene Reddick, Travis takes a busboy job at Big Sam’s Shrimp and Slaw; here he meets fry cook Emil Bontemps, destined to become a staunch friend, and dishwasher Jimmy Danes, with whom he has a far less friendly relationship. A chance encounter with Dawnell Briscoe adds to the unsettledness Travis feels as he negotiates the vagaries of his new “learning-as-I-go” life.
What does the future hold for Travis? Will Delia play a part in it? And what of Dawnell?
=========
This captivating and incisive story, told from Travis’s point of view, takes readers to the panhandle of Florida in the early 1960s. There’s a strong sense of place anchoring the telling of the tale, but the complex, well-drawn characters are the strength of the narrative. Although this is, in many ways, Travis’s coming-of-age story, readers will find the unfolding story to be both compelling and, at times, opprobrious.
The question of whether one can escape the events of the past is a central theme in the narrative; Travis’s search for a better place keeps readers guessing as to what will ultimately befall the young man. As the plot twists and turns, precipitant events take the story in unforeseen directions.
In an evolving story filled with struggles, regrets, and tragedy, Travis finds friendship, honor, and loyalty amid the violence and hatred that unexpectedly rears its ugly head. Readers will find it difficult to set this one aside before turning the final page and learning if the redemption Travis desperately seeks will become his at last.
Highly recommended.
January 22, 2023
Utterly captivating! I loved Sterling Watson's NIGHT LETTER! The audiobook was exceptional, narrated by Nick Walther. My first book by the author, and cannot wait to read more.
An evocative tale of a young man struggling to find his way. My heart went to Travis—you will fall in LOVE with the main character, 18-year-old Travis Hollister.
Full of wisdom, life, humor, and superb storytelling!
The book picks up from the first book, 2002’s Sweet Dream Baby (which I rushed to buy, and now reading). You can read this as a standalone; however, you will be dying to know more about Travis/Delia.
Travis has spent six years in a Nebraska reform school for the crimes he committed in the first book in rural Panama City, FL, where he is out now and finds work as a busboy at a seafood restaurant.
Still haunted by his troubled childhood and the sins of his past, including stabbing a boy in self-defense, Travis wants to reunite with Delia, his aunt whom he idolized and fell in love with when he was 12, and she was 16. She is now married to a lawyer. (His dad's sister) His dad (former marine-now attorney) is remarried. His bio mother is in California and is mentally challenged.
The past and present converge as Travis tries desperately to find his way. A hard worker, he wants to be independent. He is pulled by his past with Delia and his present. What a cast of colorful supporting characters!
The author's writing is lyrical, poetic, and spellbinding! I cannot believe I have not read this author previously—and that is about to change. Cannot wait to order his backlist. I listened to this in one day and could not put it down. Check out Watson's impressive bio.
The supporting characters are hilarious. Loved The Widow (the motel), and the girl he tries desperately to save, Dawnell Briscoe, from her abusive homelife, while he risks it all. Travis cannot seem to catch a break and runs into some evil and mean characters on this road to redemption.
An atmospheric, bittersweet tale of innocence, regrets, and second chances. An emotional coming of age with a twist of Gothic Southern hardboiled noir. Inspiring and heartwarming, the characters will stay with you long after the book ends. Thought-provoking.
For fans of authors John Hart and Dennis Lehane. Also, fans of Amor Towles' Lincoln Highway will enjoy. Highly recommend NIGHT LETTER! As a Floridan, I love books set in my state. (even though I am on the east coast).
Thank you to #RecordedBooks and #NetGalley for a gifted ALC.🔉 Also pre-ordered the hardcover.
Blog Review Posted@
www.JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 🌟 STARS ++
Pub Date: 31 Jan 2023
Jan 2023 Must-Read Books
An evocative tale of a young man struggling to find his way. My heart went to Travis—you will fall in LOVE with the main character, 18-year-old Travis Hollister.
Full of wisdom, life, humor, and superb storytelling!
The book picks up from the first book, 2002’s Sweet Dream Baby (which I rushed to buy, and now reading). You can read this as a standalone; however, you will be dying to know more about Travis/Delia.
Travis has spent six years in a Nebraska reform school for the crimes he committed in the first book in rural Panama City, FL, where he is out now and finds work as a busboy at a seafood restaurant.
Still haunted by his troubled childhood and the sins of his past, including stabbing a boy in self-defense, Travis wants to reunite with Delia, his aunt whom he idolized and fell in love with when he was 12, and she was 16. She is now married to a lawyer. (His dad's sister) His dad (former marine-now attorney) is remarried. His bio mother is in California and is mentally challenged.
The past and present converge as Travis tries desperately to find his way. A hard worker, he wants to be independent. He is pulled by his past with Delia and his present. What a cast of colorful supporting characters!
The author's writing is lyrical, poetic, and spellbinding! I cannot believe I have not read this author previously—and that is about to change. Cannot wait to order his backlist. I listened to this in one day and could not put it down. Check out Watson's impressive bio.
The supporting characters are hilarious. Loved The Widow (the motel), and the girl he tries desperately to save, Dawnell Briscoe, from her abusive homelife, while he risks it all. Travis cannot seem to catch a break and runs into some evil and mean characters on this road to redemption.
An atmospheric, bittersweet tale of innocence, regrets, and second chances. An emotional coming of age with a twist of Gothic Southern hardboiled noir. Inspiring and heartwarming, the characters will stay with you long after the book ends. Thought-provoking.
For fans of authors John Hart and Dennis Lehane. Also, fans of Amor Towles' Lincoln Highway will enjoy. Highly recommend NIGHT LETTER! As a Floridan, I love books set in my state. (even though I am on the east coast).
Thank you to #RecordedBooks and #NetGalley for a gifted ALC.🔉 Also pre-ordered the hardcover.
Blog Review Posted@
www.JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 🌟 STARS ++
Pub Date: 31 Jan 2023
Jan 2023 Must-Read Books
January 27, 2023
It’s hard to classify what genre this book was for me. It was part suspense, part coming of age, part twisted romance. I think I expected a little more of Travis’ past and experiences in the juvenile facility to be the focus of the book. There was a heavy creepy element to his obsession with his aunt Delia. I didn’t really follow the storyline with Donnelle but I was still interested in seeing where it went. This book touched on a lot of sensitive issues for the time period it was written about -race, sexuality, abuse.
Overall it was an entertaining book, just very different from the thriller/suspense I was expecting.
Loved the narrator, and will certainly listen to more books narrated by him.
Overall it was an entertaining book, just very different from the thriller/suspense I was expecting.
Loved the narrator, and will certainly listen to more books narrated by him.
January 21, 2023
A beautiful mix of forbidden love and finding yourself, this was a well woven story coming from a troubled time in America's history in the deep south.
With well turned characters and a good deal of perceived character growth, I loved the pacing and hopeful look to the future we were left with.
While a times a bit disturbing in terms of content, and a few trigger warnings, I think Watson did a good job of telling a conflicted story while not giving over to salaciousness.
Nice job here, and I look forward to future works!
With well turned characters and a good deal of perceived character growth, I loved the pacing and hopeful look to the future we were left with.
While a times a bit disturbing in terms of content, and a few trigger warnings, I think Watson did a good job of telling a conflicted story while not giving over to salaciousness.
Nice job here, and I look forward to future works!
January 22, 2023
This story is told by Travis Hollister who has been incarcerated in a Nebraska reform school for six years because of a violent act he committed when he was 12. He’s now 18 and upon his release he first goes to San Francisco to find his mother and when that isn’t going to work out, he goes to Florida near where the incident he was incarcerated for occurred and his aunt Delia. Delia is who he spent the eventful summer with when he was 12 and now he wants to find out how she feels about him after all of these years.
In Florida Travis gets a job bussing tables and makes a couple of friends while being near Delia and considering what to do next. In the backdrop of the 1960’s this atmospheric novel takes on the social issues of the time as the story unfolds. It’s a story of forbidden love, trauma and coming of age under extenuating circumstances. The narrator for the audio version does an outstanding performance of the varying character voices.
Thank you to @Netgalley and @recordedbooks for an early copy.
Pub date: January 3, 2023
Audio: 10 hours
January 24, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for the advanced audiobook of this title for review.
This is a story of forbidden love and life lessons. Travis Hollister is released from reform school after 6 years following a crime he committed at the age of 12. Now 18, Travis is on a mission to find himself as well as searching for Delia, the aunt he has been in love with for years. After traveling to Panama City, Travis meets a young girl who he befriends during his search. Will Delia still feel the same or is it time for Travis to find new love?
The narration on this audiobook was excellent. I would recommend to fellow readers.
This is a story of forbidden love and life lessons. Travis Hollister is released from reform school after 6 years following a crime he committed at the age of 12. Now 18, Travis is on a mission to find himself as well as searching for Delia, the aunt he has been in love with for years. After traveling to Panama City, Travis meets a young girl who he befriends during his search. Will Delia still feel the same or is it time for Travis to find new love?
The narration on this audiobook was excellent. I would recommend to fellow readers.
October 6, 2023
Night Letter is the story of Travis Hollister, an eighteen-year-old boy just released from the reform school where he has been institutionalized for the past six years. His first act of freedom was a reckless defiance of the institution’s psychiatrist. It endeared him to me immediately. His made an abortive attempt to connect with his mother in California, but decides to head south to Florida where his father lives, more importantly, it’s where his aunt Delia lives.
You learn quite early that Travis and Delia had an inappropriate relationship when he was twelve. He’s still in love, obsessed, but she is married. Will he come to terms with his past crimes and his love for Delia? Luckily, there are a few people who provide him the love and friendship he so desperately needs. There’s the chef Emil who sacrifices a lot for Travis. There’s Dawnelle who wants more from Travis than he can responsibly offer. There’s the widow whose cabin he rents who is willing to add some additional benefits.
Night Letter was a tough book to read. It has the elements of the Southern Gothic noir novel. When I realized early on what happened between Travis and Delia, I put the book away for a long time. I just didn’t want to read about it. However, the book is more about love and redemption despite its difficult elements. I love the atmospheric writing. I love how complex the characters are. Even Travis’ stepmother, with the smallest role, was multi-dimensional. That’s the kind of book I like reading in spite of the subject matter.
I received an ARC of Night Letter from Akashic Books through LibraryThing.
Night Letter at Akashic Books
Sterling Watson at Writers In Paradise
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpre...
You learn quite early that Travis and Delia had an inappropriate relationship when he was twelve. He’s still in love, obsessed, but she is married. Will he come to terms with his past crimes and his love for Delia? Luckily, there are a few people who provide him the love and friendship he so desperately needs. There’s the chef Emil who sacrifices a lot for Travis. There’s Dawnelle who wants more from Travis than he can responsibly offer. There’s the widow whose cabin he rents who is willing to add some additional benefits.
Night Letter was a tough book to read. It has the elements of the Southern Gothic noir novel. When I realized early on what happened between Travis and Delia, I put the book away for a long time. I just didn’t want to read about it. However, the book is more about love and redemption despite its difficult elements. I love the atmospheric writing. I love how complex the characters are. Even Travis’ stepmother, with the smallest role, was multi-dimensional. That’s the kind of book I like reading in spite of the subject matter.
I received an ARC of Night Letter from Akashic Books through LibraryThing.
Night Letter at Akashic Books
Sterling Watson at Writers In Paradise
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpre...
April 3, 2023
Night Letter by Sterling Watson is a cross between "readable" Faulkner (I'm no Faulkner fan, but this book had the feel) and Southern Gothic. I found it a little slow moving at first, but it picked up the pace and left you rooting for the hero by the end of the book. Well written, with some beautiful imagery, Night Letter is a good read for fans of southern Lit.
January 20, 2023
Night Letter by Sterling Watson and narrated by Nick Walther is absolutely exceptional. I wouldn't be surprised if it became a modern classic.
We meet 18 year old Travis Hollister as he is getting ready to leave a reform school in Nebraska after 6 long years. He was placed there at just 12 years old after some turbulent and tragic events that led him to an act of violence. As soon as we meet him, we know that Travis is a troubled soul and that the road to redemption will be long and thorny. Is there even a chance of redemption for this extremely well-read, cynical, abandoned by everyone young man?
This is a stunning coming-of-age story about a youth that is trying to find his place in this world, learning to love and BE loved, trying to let go of his unrequired love for his young aunt Delia. His aunt. I'm not easily offended but it is still pretty appalling by today's standards. I applaud the bravery of the author. Travis' feelings of being abandoned make it difficult for him to accept help from his new friends and carve a place for anyone new in his heart. Also, Travis has an unusually high emotional intelligence, street smarts and overall cleverness. He is perceptive and kind. But he still manages to make some rather questionable choices due to his young age and being institutionalized during his most important and impressionable years.
The language of the book is rich, poetic, and immersive; the details of the 1960's USA and in particular of the Deep South are impeccable. It made me feel like I LIVED during that era (I didn't). It's been a while since I've read it but I got very strong Catcher In the Rye vibes from this book.
The narrator, Nick Walther, was a fantastic choice for this production. He did an outstanding job portraying characters of various ages, races, genders, and social backgrounds. His narration definitely contributed to my positive review of this book. What a talent!
Thank you, NetGalley and RB Media, for providing me with an advanced copy of the audiobook ahead of its publishing day of January 31, 2023. My review is voluntary and was not influenced in any way. I highly recommend this book.
We meet 18 year old Travis Hollister as he is getting ready to leave a reform school in Nebraska after 6 long years. He was placed there at just 12 years old after some turbulent and tragic events that led him to an act of violence. As soon as we meet him, we know that Travis is a troubled soul and that the road to redemption will be long and thorny. Is there even a chance of redemption for this extremely well-read, cynical, abandoned by everyone young man?
This is a stunning coming-of-age story about a youth that is trying to find his place in this world, learning to love and BE loved, trying to let go of his unrequired love for his young aunt Delia. His aunt. I'm not easily offended but it is still pretty appalling by today's standards. I applaud the bravery of the author. Travis' feelings of being abandoned make it difficult for him to accept help from his new friends and carve a place for anyone new in his heart. Also, Travis has an unusually high emotional intelligence, street smarts and overall cleverness. He is perceptive and kind. But he still manages to make some rather questionable choices due to his young age and being institutionalized during his most important and impressionable years.
The language of the book is rich, poetic, and immersive; the details of the 1960's USA and in particular of the Deep South are impeccable. It made me feel like I LIVED during that era (I didn't). It's been a while since I've read it but I got very strong Catcher In the Rye vibes from this book.
The narrator, Nick Walther, was a fantastic choice for this production. He did an outstanding job portraying characters of various ages, races, genders, and social backgrounds. His narration definitely contributed to my positive review of this book. What a talent!
Thank you, NetGalley and RB Media, for providing me with an advanced copy of the audiobook ahead of its publishing day of January 31, 2023. My review is voluntary and was not influenced in any way. I highly recommend this book.
January 26, 2023
-ARC provided by Akashic Books and LibraryThing.-
This book hit me as a very pleasant surprise. Set in the Florida Panhandle in 1966 or '67, Night Letter encompasses dark family secrets, racial tensions, sexual entanglements, social posturing, and a kid with a violent, passionate past: all the ingredients of classic Southern Gothic. I do not typically enjoy Southern Gothic and I have no patience for Faulkner nor his ilk, so I dove in with no little trepidation. Watson, however, has his own voice and pace and it's brilliant.
"It's a strange place to be, on the road to inevitable with no map."
Watson uses language reminiscent of Steinbeck in his settings, his descriptions of layout and social patterns: it's richly textured, yes, but with familiar forms and of a human scope. A bigger surprise lay in his interactions, dialogues, main character Travis' internal monologues, and the quick cigarettes and background song lyrics: these are musical and tripping with a jazzy cadence that read like Kerouac. The product is simultaneously very American and appropriate for the time, but perfect for the main character, because Travis' youthful urgency battles throughout with his hard-learned caginess.
All of the characters ring true, for good or ill. While Travis comes off as a bit too wise for an 18-year-old, it helps the reader that we get to see people through his p-o-v and his understanding of how they stand in relation to him and each other. Fry-cook Emil and landlady Mrs. Reddick come to play roles of surrogate parents to Travis, in the place of the actual father who is unable to find a shred of parenting ability in his entire person; Travis comes to recognize all these things with acceptance as he finds his own identity. An existential touch that again has a Kerouac rhythm and flourish. Found family, making one's own fate, and learning to trust wind up being the take-away threads of NL, and nicely so. As Travis says to himself, "Maybe I can be what someone good believes I am. Maybe that's what faith is."
This book hit me as a very pleasant surprise. Set in the Florida Panhandle in 1966 or '67, Night Letter encompasses dark family secrets, racial tensions, sexual entanglements, social posturing, and a kid with a violent, passionate past: all the ingredients of classic Southern Gothic. I do not typically enjoy Southern Gothic and I have no patience for Faulkner nor his ilk, so I dove in with no little trepidation. Watson, however, has his own voice and pace and it's brilliant.
"It's a strange place to be, on the road to inevitable with no map."
Watson uses language reminiscent of Steinbeck in his settings, his descriptions of layout and social patterns: it's richly textured, yes, but with familiar forms and of a human scope. A bigger surprise lay in his interactions, dialogues, main character Travis' internal monologues, and the quick cigarettes and background song lyrics: these are musical and tripping with a jazzy cadence that read like Kerouac. The product is simultaneously very American and appropriate for the time, but perfect for the main character, because Travis' youthful urgency battles throughout with his hard-learned caginess.
All of the characters ring true, for good or ill. While Travis comes off as a bit too wise for an 18-year-old, it helps the reader that we get to see people through his p-o-v and his understanding of how they stand in relation to him and each other. Fry-cook Emil and landlady Mrs. Reddick come to play roles of surrogate parents to Travis, in the place of the actual father who is unable to find a shred of parenting ability in his entire person; Travis comes to recognize all these things with acceptance as he finds his own identity. An existential touch that again has a Kerouac rhythm and flourish. Found family, making one's own fate, and learning to trust wind up being the take-away threads of NL, and nicely so. As Travis says to himself, "Maybe I can be what someone good believes I am. Maybe that's what faith is."
January 29, 2023
Night Letter by Sterling Watson
3.5/5
“Eighteen-year-old Travis Hollister is always the stranger who comes to town. As a twelve-year-old escaping a disordered and unhappy home and parents who loved hard but couldn't
make it work, Travis left the Midwest to spend a summer with his grandparents in the Deep South. There he met Delia, the love of his life, who, tragically, was beyond his reach for two
reasons-she was his aunt and she was sixteen
years old. That summer made Travis guilty of crimes discovered and undiscovered. For his public wrongs, he did time, six years in
a Nebraska reform school. For his undiscovered wrongs, he suffers mightily and wants desperately to be shriven. Can he achieve redemption or is he bound for the hell on earth he can imagine all too well? Driven by his need to rejoin the human community, he becomes the stranger who arrives in Panama City, Florida, searching for Delia, the aunt who was
the idol of his twelve-year-old passion. Who is she now? What have the years done to her? Will she welcome the return of Travis or fear it? What will she do about the return of the stranger she once held to her teenage heart. Amid a cast of characters struggling with their own needs, desires, tragedies, and, yes, crimes, Travis finds violence, hatred vengeance, and, in greater measure, friendship, honor, loyalty, and at least a glimpse of the road to redemption.”
Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for giving me early access to this Audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
I can’t decide if I liked this one or I didn’t. I really enjoyed parts of it and other were just blah. I will say the beginning really hooked me but then didn’t go on as I expected. Travis was a very like-able character who had a troubled past and was trying to grow and overcome his tough childhood. His story was a great story of growing up, overcoming challenges, friendship and a little bit of love.
I really enjoyed the audio version of the book and the narrator was great! Even though I have mixed feelings on this one I would recommend it. It is out Jan. 31st!
3.5/5
“Eighteen-year-old Travis Hollister is always the stranger who comes to town. As a twelve-year-old escaping a disordered and unhappy home and parents who loved hard but couldn't
make it work, Travis left the Midwest to spend a summer with his grandparents in the Deep South. There he met Delia, the love of his life, who, tragically, was beyond his reach for two
reasons-she was his aunt and she was sixteen
years old. That summer made Travis guilty of crimes discovered and undiscovered. For his public wrongs, he did time, six years in
a Nebraska reform school. For his undiscovered wrongs, he suffers mightily and wants desperately to be shriven. Can he achieve redemption or is he bound for the hell on earth he can imagine all too well? Driven by his need to rejoin the human community, he becomes the stranger who arrives in Panama City, Florida, searching for Delia, the aunt who was
the idol of his twelve-year-old passion. Who is she now? What have the years done to her? Will she welcome the return of Travis or fear it? What will she do about the return of the stranger she once held to her teenage heart. Amid a cast of characters struggling with their own needs, desires, tragedies, and, yes, crimes, Travis finds violence, hatred vengeance, and, in greater measure, friendship, honor, loyalty, and at least a glimpse of the road to redemption.”
Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for giving me early access to this Audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
I can’t decide if I liked this one or I didn’t. I really enjoyed parts of it and other were just blah. I will say the beginning really hooked me but then didn’t go on as I expected. Travis was a very like-able character who had a troubled past and was trying to grow and overcome his tough childhood. His story was a great story of growing up, overcoming challenges, friendship and a little bit of love.
I really enjoyed the audio version of the book and the narrator was great! Even though I have mixed feelings on this one I would recommend it. It is out Jan. 31st!
February 19, 2023
Bildungsroman is my favorite type of story, for the psychological richness and depth it offers the reader. Is there anything more satisfying than following a child as he grows up, and through adversity and struggles, matures to adulthood? Not for me.
While it's true that Watson's story about Travis Hollister is that of a young adult, we can appreciate that because of Travis' incarceration in juvie for 6 years, his growing up has been stunted. As a result, when he ages out of the system, his 18-year-old self is more like a 14-year-old troubled teen: unsure of where he fits into the world, he searches for home and for his place in it, first seeking out his psychologically challenged mother, and then crossing the country back to find the object of his obsession, his Aunt Delia, with whom he had a torrid love affair that ended violently with an action that put Travis in juvie to begin with.
Back in Florida, he rejoins old bonds as he finds his father (remarried) and his Delia (also married now), but he also forges new connections, with co-workers, landladies, and new possible paramours. Travis's journey in this novel takes him through the conflict of trying to reconcile his new bonds and his old. His old self pulls him back towards his old history, habits, and foibles, while his new bonds lead him forward toward a future he's not quite ready to face.
I found Travis's voice mesmerizing in its honesty, open yearning, and wisdom despite his age. The character is fully believable and fully drawn. The writing is crisp and the setting atmospheric and noir-ish. I did not expect to be pulled in so masterfully.
While it's true that Watson's story about Travis Hollister is that of a young adult, we can appreciate that because of Travis' incarceration in juvie for 6 years, his growing up has been stunted. As a result, when he ages out of the system, his 18-year-old self is more like a 14-year-old troubled teen: unsure of where he fits into the world, he searches for home and for his place in it, first seeking out his psychologically challenged mother, and then crossing the country back to find the object of his obsession, his Aunt Delia, with whom he had a torrid love affair that ended violently with an action that put Travis in juvie to begin with.
Back in Florida, he rejoins old bonds as he finds his father (remarried) and his Delia (also married now), but he also forges new connections, with co-workers, landladies, and new possible paramours. Travis's journey in this novel takes him through the conflict of trying to reconcile his new bonds and his old. His old self pulls him back towards his old history, habits, and foibles, while his new bonds lead him forward toward a future he's not quite ready to face.
I found Travis's voice mesmerizing in its honesty, open yearning, and wisdom despite his age. The character is fully believable and fully drawn. The writing is crisp and the setting atmospheric and noir-ish. I did not expect to be pulled in so masterfully.
March 1, 2023
The Night Letter - Sterling Wason
I was interested in reading this novel as I read the author's book The Committee, which I found to be unique and memorable).
I regularly read 7 - 10 books a week, therefore when I find a book memorable years after reading it is not as commonplace for me as one might initially assume...
This story begins as the main character (Travis Hollister) completes his six-year sentence as a juvenile offender. Travis is discharged with no destination as he has not maintained contact with anyone from the "outside" during his incarceration, including family members.
Finally, after hitchhiking across multiple states and doing odd jobs to feed himself, he locates his mother, only to find that she is every bit as lost as he is - she doesn't even recognize him.
Ultimately the character tracks down other family members and as the story unfolds we discover more about this character's seemingly "arrested" (yes, pun was intentional) development.
Although I found the main character super annoying at times throughout the first half of this novel (due to Travis' excess of self- worth, self- focus and externally judgemental demeanor (reminiscent of Holland Caufield, LONG before the author makes the comparison).
However, the second half of this novel won my heart in surprisingly touching and all-encompassing ways.
Book spans a time a few decades earlier as we travel through the pages with Travis as our guide, as he forges his own path to self-discovery, self-worth and humanity.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC of this novel.
Until next time, keep your family close.
I was interested in reading this novel as I read the author's book The Committee, which I found to be unique and memorable).
I regularly read 7 - 10 books a week, therefore when I find a book memorable years after reading it is not as commonplace for me as one might initially assume...
This story begins as the main character (Travis Hollister) completes his six-year sentence as a juvenile offender. Travis is discharged with no destination as he has not maintained contact with anyone from the "outside" during his incarceration, including family members.
Finally, after hitchhiking across multiple states and doing odd jobs to feed himself, he locates his mother, only to find that she is every bit as lost as he is - she doesn't even recognize him.
Ultimately the character tracks down other family members and as the story unfolds we discover more about this character's seemingly "arrested" (yes, pun was intentional) development.
Although I found the main character super annoying at times throughout the first half of this novel (due to Travis' excess of self- worth, self- focus and externally judgemental demeanor (reminiscent of Holland Caufield, LONG before the author makes the comparison).
However, the second half of this novel won my heart in surprisingly touching and all-encompassing ways.
Book spans a time a few decades earlier as we travel through the pages with Travis as our guide, as he forges his own path to self-discovery, self-worth and humanity.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC of this novel.
Until next time, keep your family close.
January 27, 2023
While it is not indicated anywhere at this time, this is actually a sequel to Sweet Dream Baby. I did not know this when I began reading, but found out shortly after.
(When I requested an advance copy, I did not remember it being listed as historical fiction. I normally avoid all reviews when reading an advance copy. But I did some research, which is when I realized that Travis and Delia's story starts in Sweet Dream Baby. )
While I suppose this does technically work as a stand alone, I always felt as if I were missing some pieces. I assume they are in Sweet Dream Baby.
This was just OK for me. And I have no idea how much of that has to do with never reading Sweet Dream Baby.
The narrator of the audiobook did a good job, but I did speed it up a lot to get the book over with. It made some pacing changes more noticable. But I barely noticed and was not bothered prior to speeding it up.
I received an audio copy in exchange for an honest review.
(When I requested an advance copy, I did not remember it being listed as historical fiction. I normally avoid all reviews when reading an advance copy. But I did some research, which is when I realized that Travis and Delia's story starts in Sweet Dream Baby. )
While I suppose this does technically work as a stand alone, I always felt as if I were missing some pieces. I assume they are in Sweet Dream Baby.
This was just OK for me. And I have no idea how much of that has to do with never reading Sweet Dream Baby.
The narrator of the audiobook did a good job, but I did speed it up a lot to get the book over with. It made some pacing changes more noticable. But I barely noticed and was not bothered prior to speeding it up.
I received an audio copy in exchange for an honest review.
January 27, 2023
Night Letter, by Sterling Watson, would be an ugly, uncomfortable read if it wasn't for the brilliance of Watson's skill with language. His descriptive passages are painted with dense and evocative strokes, capturing the sweaty, bug-ridden lushness of a Florida with societal class rules of the late sixties.
The folks who live and work in the town that Travis Hollister has returned to after six years of reform school have compelling histories and powerful desires that both limit and draw the teenager. He wants to return to the life and the sexual/emotional relationship he'd been ripped away from, but he's seventeen now and nobody is the same anymore,especially Travis himself.
Travis is hard to like but impossible to give up on. His reasons for his actions may not be yours or mine, but they make emotional sense even as the we cry out No, don't go there! because life is so often like that: dark, but never so easy as black and white and therefore messy. Night Letter is no fairy tale with the reassurance of a happily after ever and in that way it's just like real life.
The folks who live and work in the town that Travis Hollister has returned to after six years of reform school have compelling histories and powerful desires that both limit and draw the teenager. He wants to return to the life and the sexual/emotional relationship he'd been ripped away from, but he's seventeen now and nobody is the same anymore,especially Travis himself.
Travis is hard to like but impossible to give up on. His reasons for his actions may not be yours or mine, but they make emotional sense even as the we cry out No, don't go there! because life is so often like that: dark, but never so easy as black and white and therefore messy. Night Letter is no fairy tale with the reassurance of a happily after ever and in that way it's just like real life.
January 27, 2023
Night Letter was a Netgalley audio arc for me, and even as I write this review, part of me loved it, and part of me struggled with it - likely a good effort by any author to have the reader continue to evaluate even after the book is finished. First, I think I would have preferred to have read a paper copy vs the audio. I wasn't a huge fan of the narrator, and often the subject was cringy. Being able to read at my own pace (perhaps peruse to get past difficult scenes) would have made this a better book. For me. We are all different and I'd encourage you to listen in case the narration hits you differently.
I hate summing up books in a review (too much like elementary school book reports, and you can always read the publisher summary), but just briefly - a coming of age story with a troubled teen who was dealt an unfair hand. My struggle as a human, a mom, a woman from my own troubled childhood, was liking the main character, and accepting choices he made were often uncomfortable.
The writing was excellent and Sterling Watson knows how to turn a phrase.
I hate summing up books in a review (too much like elementary school book reports, and you can always read the publisher summary), but just briefly - a coming of age story with a troubled teen who was dealt an unfair hand. My struggle as a human, a mom, a woman from my own troubled childhood, was liking the main character, and accepting choices he made were often uncomfortable.
The writing was excellent and Sterling Watson knows how to turn a phrase.
February 2, 2023
5 out of 5 stars
I would like to thank RB Media and Netgalley for allowing me to listen to an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I will be honest, I requested this and I thought it looked good but I was not super excited but I ended up falling in love with Travis Hollister and the people he comes across in Panama City, Florida where he returns after a stint in a reform school for boys.
Travis returns to Panama City to search for Delia, the girl that captured his heart at the tender age of twelve. Is she the same as she was when he left? How did the secret they share affect her? DId she think of him nearly as much as he thought of her while he was away?
What he finds is not what he expected. Night Letter is about found family, hope and all kinds of love you never expect to find. I fell completely in love with this novel, it is such a beautiful and melancholy novel that had me feeling all kinds of things I didn't expect and is the best novel I have read so far this year. I will be visiting Travis again and again.
I would like to thank RB Media and Netgalley for allowing me to listen to an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I will be honest, I requested this and I thought it looked good but I was not super excited but I ended up falling in love with Travis Hollister and the people he comes across in Panama City, Florida where he returns after a stint in a reform school for boys.
Travis returns to Panama City to search for Delia, the girl that captured his heart at the tender age of twelve. Is she the same as she was when he left? How did the secret they share affect her? DId she think of him nearly as much as he thought of her while he was away?
What he finds is not what he expected. Night Letter is about found family, hope and all kinds of love you never expect to find. I fell completely in love with this novel, it is such a beautiful and melancholy novel that had me feeling all kinds of things I didn't expect and is the best novel I have read so far this year. I will be visiting Travis again and again.
February 1, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for this Audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
Set in the '60s in the Florida Panhandle, and the novel’s focus is on Travis Hollister, an 18-year-old youth just out of six years in a Nebraska reform school.
I must say, ive not read or listened to anything quite like this. It was different than I expected in a good way.
The beginning got me hooked.
I would have loved to know more about Travis sessions with the doctors than just a brief description.
This coming of age story is filled with struggles, regrets, racism, abuse and tragedy.
At the same time unexpected bond, Friendship, loyalty and Redemption.
Overall it was an entertaining book, the mind of travis was something else 😀.
I wished I had read the book 1 first, I'm sure I would have liked this book even more.
I Loved the narrator, and I hope to listen to more books narrated by him. ❤️
Set in the '60s in the Florida Panhandle, and the novel’s focus is on Travis Hollister, an 18-year-old youth just out of six years in a Nebraska reform school.
I must say, ive not read or listened to anything quite like this. It was different than I expected in a good way.
The beginning got me hooked.
I would have loved to know more about Travis sessions with the doctors than just a brief description.
This coming of age story is filled with struggles, regrets, racism, abuse and tragedy.
At the same time unexpected bond, Friendship, loyalty and Redemption.
Overall it was an entertaining book, the mind of travis was something else 😀.
I wished I had read the book 1 first, I'm sure I would have liked this book even more.
I Loved the narrator, and I hope to listen to more books narrated by him. ❤️
January 26, 2023
First off I want to thank @netgalley & @rbmedia for my free ALC copy in exchange for an honest review.
I went into listening this one completely blind, I'm glad I did as I don't think i would've been tempted by it or else. The narrator was excellent and kept me intrigued all throughout.
It was sometimes a hard one to hear in terms of content. So many secrets from this troubled youths past. I think the author did a great job in portraying all the characters and events.
This is a story of forbidden love, life lessons, growth and redemption. I thought it was well done. I was expecting more to happen and to actually be able to see all the Delia book. It was different from my usual reads but still found it interesting.
If you want a lightning a good story about forbidden love, life lessons, growth and redemption you will be charmed with this one.
I went into listening this one completely blind, I'm glad I did as I don't think i would've been tempted by it or else. The narrator was excellent and kept me intrigued all throughout.
It was sometimes a hard one to hear in terms of content. So many secrets from this troubled youths past. I think the author did a great job in portraying all the characters and events.
This is a story of forbidden love, life lessons, growth and redemption. I thought it was well done. I was expecting more to happen and to actually be able to see all the Delia book. It was different from my usual reads but still found it interesting.
If you want a lightning a good story about forbidden love, life lessons, growth and redemption you will be charmed with this one.
January 28, 2023
Night Letter
Sterling Watson
Our tale begins at Bridgedale School for Boys in the early 60s. Travis has spent the last six years as an inmate at the school. He is eighteen and just released. He hitchhikes his way to San Francisco to see his mother; but realizes she has started over and doesn’t need him in her life. His next move is Panama City, Florida to find his Aunt Delia. He takes a job as a busboy at Sam’s Shrimp and Slaw. He makes a friend with the fry cook Emil and an almost friend with Jimmy.
I’m still not sure what to make of this tale. I struggled to finish it. The characters did not appeal to me. Travis was obsessed with his Aunt Delia. It was definitely and inappropriate “relationship.” The voice of the narrator grated on my nerves. I would classify this as a coming of age book.
Sterling Watson
Our tale begins at Bridgedale School for Boys in the early 60s. Travis has spent the last six years as an inmate at the school. He is eighteen and just released. He hitchhikes his way to San Francisco to see his mother; but realizes she has started over and doesn’t need him in her life. His next move is Panama City, Florida to find his Aunt Delia. He takes a job as a busboy at Sam’s Shrimp and Slaw. He makes a friend with the fry cook Emil and an almost friend with Jimmy.
I’m still not sure what to make of this tale. I struggled to finish it. The characters did not appeal to me. Travis was obsessed with his Aunt Delia. It was definitely and inappropriate “relationship.” The voice of the narrator grated on my nerves. I would classify this as a coming of age book.
February 1, 2023
NIGHT LETTER is the sequel to the book SWEET DREAM BABY. Even though I had not read the first book, I was able to piece together the majority of Travis' past in order to better understand where his character is coming from and the reasons for his obsessions.
I am truly not sure how I feel about this book. The narrator for the audiobook was great. The storyline seemed to hold my attention at times, but then I caught myself wandering in my own thoughts. It is a coming-of-age story (in the late 1960s) in which Travis learns about the hardships of being on his own at eighteen.
I am truly not sure how I feel about this book. The narrator for the audiobook was great. The storyline seemed to hold my attention at times, but then I caught myself wandering in my own thoughts. It is a coming-of-age story (in the late 1960s) in which Travis learns about the hardships of being on his own at eighteen.
February 3, 2023
Travis Hollister has been in a juvenile detention center in Nebraska for six years and is obsessed with his Aunt Delia and heads to the Florida Panhandle to see her. Set in the late 60s, this is a coming of age story with a speckle of romance, suspense and family values. The characters were fascinating and I enjoyed the book. In researching the author and locations, I found that this is actually a sequel to his earlier book Sweet Dream Baby, which tells more of the Delia and Travis story. I am going to try and read that one. I also felt this had a Catcher In The Rye quality to it.
January 29, 2023
#FirstLine ~ "You've never opened up to with me, Travis, not really."
This book was definitely original. It was unlike other books I have read. I am, however, neutral on this story. I think others may really enjoy it. There were some components of the story that felt flat for me or felt strange. I would not like somebody else to not read this book though...others may gobble this book up because the story is really one of a kind.
This book was definitely original. It was unlike other books I have read. I am, however, neutral on this story. I think others may really enjoy it. There were some components of the story that felt flat for me or felt strange. I would not like somebody else to not read this book though...others may gobble this book up because the story is really one of a kind.
January 30, 2023
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook.
SO I liked this book.... not loved. It was OK... I almost DNF. Cant say I am 100% glad I didn't. It was just OK. Some parts I loved.. but not enough of them. It was just OK. I would not say do not read this. Everyone gets something different from books.
SO I liked this book.... not loved. It was OK... I almost DNF. Cant say I am 100% glad I didn't. It was just OK. Some parts I loved.. but not enough of them. It was just OK. I would not say do not read this. Everyone gets something different from books.
January 30, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
This book was convoluted and I was not sure what genre it actually fell into. Travis was an unlikeable character throughout the book and did not seem to change or grow much. This was a different book and was ok.
This book was convoluted and I was not sure what genre it actually fell into. Travis was an unlikeable character throughout the book and did not seem to change or grow much. This was a different book and was ok.
February 6, 2023
This was utterly captivating. Firstly the narration suits it, This type of book is not normally part of my read list, but wow I have been missing out. I didn't realise that it was rather second book now am going to read that one.
I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own
I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own
August 12, 2023
I have read several of the novels by Sterling Watson, and NIGHT LETTER is as compelling and real as FIGHTING IN THE SHADE and SWEET DREAM BABY. I strongly recommend THE COMMITTEE and SUITCASE CITY once you have read NIGHT LETTER. His stories will stick with you a lifetime, and in their way, they capture time. Certainly this was the case with NIGHT LETTER.
February 11, 2023
This book was honestly kinda boring. Maybe it wasn't for me? But yeah, I just couldn't get into it.
Thanks netgalley for giving me a copy of the audiobook so I can share my thoughts and opinions with y'all 💛
Thanks netgalley for giving me a copy of the audiobook so I can share my thoughts and opinions with y'all 💛
September 10, 2025
A brooding, atmospheric noir tinged coming of age set in Florida’s Panhandle, perfect for a moody listen. I was drawn in by the gritty tone and poetic prose, but sometimes it felt like the pacing dragged just a tad.
March 7, 2023
This book was fantastic. Reminiscent of Catcher in the Rye, with hints of Flannery O'Conner and Faulkner, it has the lyricism and surprising depth of emotion of a Helprin novel while bringing something entirely new to the table. Excellent characterization, lovely setting, multiple complex storylines with the uniting theme of people trying to forgive and love and be better than they were yesterday. It was hopeful without flinching from some dark events and themes. The narrator was perfectly cast to voice the protagonist and gave life to the colorful cast of characters surrounding our hero. It's just such a well written book. I recommend this to anyone and everyone.
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for the advanced copy of the audiobook.
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for the advanced copy of the audiobook.
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