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Heaven and Hurricanes
When he was twenty-two years old, Alexander Murphy turned down a full scholarship to law school, packed up his car, and moved to Key West, Florida. Driven by his lack of direction, and fueled by his love of literature, he made that small island paradise his home. He spent his days on boats and on beaches, and his nights working as a bartender at a bar called The Broken Seahorse. He wasn’t challenged, but he was comfortable, and for two years he felt content in his complacency. All of that was before a girl named Iliza D’Ambrosio walked into his life, and ruined everything.
“From the moment I met her, Iliza reminded me of Key West. One second, she could make me feel like I had died and gone to heaven. The very next, she was a hurricane — determined to destroy. On more recent reflection, I wonder if the same cannot be said for all things beautiful in this world...”
Iliza was the plot twist Alex never saw coming. She would force him to reevaluate, reimagine, and rewrite his story — not always for the better.
“To look in Iliza’s eyes was to see myself in their reflection, and while I was surely scared of what those big blue eyes would see in me, I was far more terrified of what they had to show me.”
“From the moment I met her, Iliza reminded me of Key West. One second, she could make me feel like I had died and gone to heaven. The very next, she was a hurricane — determined to destroy. On more recent reflection, I wonder if the same cannot be said for all things beautiful in this world...”
Iliza was the plot twist Alex never saw coming. She would force him to reevaluate, reimagine, and rewrite his story — not always for the better.
“To look in Iliza’s eyes was to see myself in their reflection, and while I was surely scared of what those big blue eyes would see in me, I was far more terrified of what they had to show me.”
382 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 13, 2022
40 people are currently reading
768 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 7, 2022
What a journey…to me this book was about growth and learning about life and yourself. It shows that teachers to help you on this path are everywhere. They are drunks on a barstool, friends, movies, girlfriends, fathers, great literature and yourself. The descriptions of Key West and it’s history is another teacher. Read this book. Take this journey and enjoy.
July 21, 2022
As an avid non fiction reader and lover of fiction stories, this book beautifully connected the art of storytelling with ideas of history, science, philosophy, psychology.
This book awakened my curiosity and invited me reflect on parts of myself all while tied neatly with a bow of a well written narrative filled with words that stopped me in my tracks.
People of all ages will connect to different aspects of this story and I would love to be a fly on the wall during discussions of the many interpretations and areas of resonance!
‘Heaven and Hurricanes’ is a thoughtfully unique book filled with messages and metaphors that I will be re-reading for sure. I know I will gain something new from it each time I read.
The pieces of the book that I take with me are a gift and I’m grateful to have been on the journey of growth and resolution with the characters!
This book awakened my curiosity and invited me reflect on parts of myself all while tied neatly with a bow of a well written narrative filled with words that stopped me in my tracks.
People of all ages will connect to different aspects of this story and I would love to be a fly on the wall during discussions of the many interpretations and areas of resonance!
‘Heaven and Hurricanes’ is a thoughtfully unique book filled with messages and metaphors that I will be re-reading for sure. I know I will gain something new from it each time I read.
The pieces of the book that I take with me are a gift and I’m grateful to have been on the journey of growth and resolution with the characters!
October 5, 2022
The nuggets of wisdom, the bicycle lesson, my fav....
I loved the life lessons, the self reflection, the pain, the loss, the love. All of the subjects needed to make a good story were there. I especially enjoyed the Journal and the insights into each chapter. It was an easy read yet thought provoking. Take your time in reading this book and enjoy the journey.
I loved the life lessons, the self reflection, the pain, the loss, the love. All of the subjects needed to make a good story were there. I especially enjoyed the Journal and the insights into each chapter. It was an easy read yet thought provoking. Take your time in reading this book and enjoy the journey.
January 24, 2023
Set in the dreamlike cityscape of Key west, Heaven and Hurricanes tells the story of a young man coming of age and falling in love. At times it’s a story of self discovery, others a story about love, others still about growing up and wrestling with the thoughts and feelings that assault all of us in life at some point.
A reoccurring theme of the book is how perception changes as we age. Our memories and our life experiences tend to change as we change over time. The things that once disgusted us in youthful angst become sources of comfort in later years, and the struggles which once seemed likely to destroy us become part of a story that crafts into the human beings that we become.
This book is delightful to read, light and innocent at times, and incredibly complex in others. One thing remains constant throughout the book though: self reflection.
The author and narrator guide us not simply through life, but through the entirety of human experience. The readers confronts issues like: death, parenthood, the value and meaning of suffering, love, the value of work, and the lines between making an income and remaining sovereign as an individual.
The narrator is quite the bibliophile and interspersed with the work are countless references, quotes, and recommendations for more reading if one is curious enough to look, it offers quite the reading list to the reader once finished.
Overall it’s a beautiful book, and for one so inclined it will cause no shortage of occasions to look within, and to reflect on the more meaningful parts of life that we often neglect to look at when we are simply seeking to live or to be entertained. One who reads this book with an open mind will surely be changed, and what else is life but change?
Marcus Aurelius-“The universe is change”.
A reoccurring theme of the book is how perception changes as we age. Our memories and our life experiences tend to change as we change over time. The things that once disgusted us in youthful angst become sources of comfort in later years, and the struggles which once seemed likely to destroy us become part of a story that crafts into the human beings that we become.
This book is delightful to read, light and innocent at times, and incredibly complex in others. One thing remains constant throughout the book though: self reflection.
The author and narrator guide us not simply through life, but through the entirety of human experience. The readers confronts issues like: death, parenthood, the value and meaning of suffering, love, the value of work, and the lines between making an income and remaining sovereign as an individual.
The narrator is quite the bibliophile and interspersed with the work are countless references, quotes, and recommendations for more reading if one is curious enough to look, it offers quite the reading list to the reader once finished.
Overall it’s a beautiful book, and for one so inclined it will cause no shortage of occasions to look within, and to reflect on the more meaningful parts of life that we often neglect to look at when we are simply seeking to live or to be entertained. One who reads this book with an open mind will surely be changed, and what else is life but change?
Marcus Aurelius-“The universe is change”.
September 15, 2022
Thought Provoking
At the beginning it was hard to get into the book. All the quotes from authors didn’t flow. All I could think was “have an original thought”.
The conversations were more of a theological discussion. I had to read in small chunks so my eyes wouldn’t roll to the back of my head.
The book makes you think which I assume is the point.
Reading this book as an aspiring writer I can see how and what I choose to share with the reader tells more about me than I intended.
The author made me realize that a book can read totally different when you reread it after years or a traumatic experience. You are changed and therefore how you interpret the book has changed.
Also, I’ve discovered from reading this book that there’s a reason why I can’t put into words to describe things properly “Alexithymia.”
Overall it was a book that made me question a lot of beliefs I have and rethink a few “known” things too.
But it made my brain hurt reading all those philosophical questions.
At the beginning it was hard to get into the book. All the quotes from authors didn’t flow. All I could think was “have an original thought”.
The conversations were more of a theological discussion. I had to read in small chunks so my eyes wouldn’t roll to the back of my head.
The book makes you think which I assume is the point.
Reading this book as an aspiring writer I can see how and what I choose to share with the reader tells more about me than I intended.
The author made me realize that a book can read totally different when you reread it after years or a traumatic experience. You are changed and therefore how you interpret the book has changed.
Also, I’ve discovered from reading this book that there’s a reason why I can’t put into words to describe things properly “Alexithymia.”
Overall it was a book that made me question a lot of beliefs I have and rethink a few “known” things too.
But it made my brain hurt reading all those philosophical questions.
August 10, 2023
This is not a genre I had read before, so I don’t really know if I can rate it well. 4-5 stars I feel is apt.
This book is about self discovery, understanding yourself and asking the difficult questions. The author has done a good job with Alex Murphy who’s on the quest to get over the grief of losing his father, someone he never really knew yet judged him as a person until he meets another father who gives a different perspective on what fatherhood meant.
This is not a story book. This is more of a brief journey of one person understanding life better. It is a good read, i feel my money worth spent on this one.
This book is about self discovery, understanding yourself and asking the difficult questions. The author has done a good job with Alex Murphy who’s on the quest to get over the grief of losing his father, someone he never really knew yet judged him as a person until he meets another father who gives a different perspective on what fatherhood meant.
This is not a story book. This is more of a brief journey of one person understanding life better. It is a good read, i feel my money worth spent on this one.
February 24, 2025
I’m not finished with this book. So far, I hate this book. This guy who supposedly loves literature has quoted probably 15 philosophers or authors from across the globe and through a vast span of time within the first 100 pages. John Steinbeck quoted two words from ONE source- “Thou mayest” and with them, he crafted East of Eden - an actual novel that delivers a powerful message without the aid of a 400 page sermon.
This guy is using a novel format to mansplain his character’s meaningless existence to a woman who is *gasp* smart enough to withstand his verbal judo.
Ugh.
Descriptions of Key West are nice.
This guy is using a novel format to mansplain his character’s meaningless existence to a woman who is *gasp* smart enough to withstand his verbal judo.
Ugh.
Descriptions of Key West are nice.
April 26, 2023
Heaven and Hurricanes -
Ehhh.. Not really my kind of book. It is clear that the author of this book seems to believe he has a superior intellect yet he doesn't know when it is appropriate to use the words me, myself, and I.
Ehhh.. Not really my kind of book. It is clear that the author of this book seems to believe he has a superior intellect yet he doesn't know when it is appropriate to use the words me, myself, and I.
June 21, 2023
A trip that began with a ride down captivating merging onto pontificating , exiting at ponderous ave and ending at happily ever after.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews