Joel Emmanuel, a coming-of-age novel, is now available at Amazon as paperback and in Kindle. Or drop in and visit, or order online, at a select Puget Sound area bookstore: Seaport Books, La Conner WA.
The story has won two First in Category awards with Chanticleer Book Reviews and a 5-Star review with Reader’s Favorite.
“I’ve always been partial to historical fiction. The late 1970s may seem historical to many, but not so much to those of us who lived through them. As a mature adult at that time period (in age, though not necessarily in wisdom), I view that era as too vivid in memory to be regarded as history. Rather, my inspiration came from an urge to imagine what it would be like to grow up with a counter-culture single mother, to have experienced as normal a series of boyfriends, rather than a steadfast, live-in father.
“Young Joel Emmanuel’s boyhood would be the antithesis of my own, growing up in the Northeast in a mostly-traditional Catholic family in the late 1940s and 1950s. Then there’s the contrast of being molded by the scenic surroundings of farms and mountains and waterways of Northwest Washington state as opposed to populous, industrialized Northeast New Jersey.” -J.P. Kenna
From an EDITORIAL REVIEW by CHANTICEER BOOK REVIEWS
“Set in the Pacific Northwest in the 1970s, Joel Emmanuel by JP Kenna rewards its readers with the story of a boy coming of age and how he understands the changes around him.”
“Kenna weaves his literary suspense like a true master, making farms and equipment come alive, all while using them to represent the flow of change and time. Each place, each scene, each vehicle, and each tool is imbued with meaning. Kenna’s characters have strong relationships with their place in the world, which makes it easy for the reader to internalize. In fact, Kenna captures a way of life that seems impossible today, focusing on the human story and systems of the time, and makes them universal and accessible to contemporary readers. J.P. Kenna’s story of changing and butting cultures beats at the heart of Joel Emmanuel and readers will surely enjoy it. Joel Emmanuel won 1st in Category in the Somerset Awards for Literary Fiction and the Clue Awards for Suspense Fiction.”
“A strong literary suspense novel set in the Pacific Northwest, where cultures clash and one boy is caught between worlds. Recommended.”
– Chanticleer Reviews
REVIEW RATING:
5 Stars – Congratulations on your 5-star review!
Reviewed By Romuald Dzemo for Readers’ Favorite
Joel Emmanuel by J.P. Kenna has a lot of fun in store for readers; it is edgy and articulate, a beautiful narrative with a charming rural setting, and a tale that explores a small boy’s struggle with change. Eight-year-old Joel Emmanuel Webber’s life has been uneventful and it has always felt wonderful living with his mother, Nance Raindance, in the small cabin along the Skagit River in LaConner. But things change when the owner of the cabin informs Joel’s mother that they must start paying rent for the cabin. Does this have any connection with the arrival of Billy Sampson’s daughter for a vacation. No one knows, but one thing is certain — everything changes and Joel lives through tumultuous times in the next few years, including the murder trial of Gerald Flynn and the injustices orchestrated against the Native Americans.
This is a beautiful story of growing up in a rural area and the clash of cultures. A counter-culture setting in the late 1970s is meticulously captured in the narrative and the author allows a world to emerge against this backdrop, filling readers with natural sights that are interesting. This fine treatment of the setting allows readers to understand the connection the young protagonist has with the cabin. The mystery about his father is one of the things that add to the suspense and that enrich the psychological conflict. While Nance can still see her ex-fisherman boyfriend turned real estate agent, Joel wonders if his father will visit someday. Joel Emmanuel has a great plot and for fans of courtroom drama, this narrative will be a great treat. J.P. Kenna is a good storyteller and I enjoyed the way he allows the point of view of the protagonist to come out in the plot, sprinkling the story with social and cultural commentaries. He writes with clarity and fans of courtroom drama will enjoy it even more.
J.P. Kenna 