Dan Berne

Ray Bancroft, a widowed Alaskan fisherman, has raised his 11-year old granddaughter by himself since her birth. Ray fishes seasonally and supplements his income by chartering fishing outings for tourists. His business partner is his half-Tlingit best friend Felix, who years earlier suffered a stroke and can no longer make decisions. Otherwise Felix is a wonderful partner - and a staunch believer in appeasing the spirits. Now, while facing a lawsuit brought by a careless customer, Ray must also prepare for the return of his long-absent drug-addict/ex-con daughter.

There are some very interesting parts to this book, especially about the lives of the fishermen, but there is just way too much drama for what starts out as a gentle look at a quiet life: a lawsuit, a new girlfriend, the now-sober but religious-zealot daughter who wants custody of her child, and the criminal father of the child, just released from prison. This all takes place over a couple of months. And Ray, who seems like a reasonable sort at the beginning of the book, falls apart and becomes unable to approach any of this with patience or forethought. It just didn't all hang together for me.… (més)

I was not expecting this book to be a page turner, but it really was. The first chapter or so was hard to get into (there is a very quick immersion into the world of commercial fishing), but then it picked right up and I found myself excited to read every night (that is what designates a 5-star book for me). I loved the main character and his fierce devotion to his granddaughter. The stories of his wife's death and his daughter's wayward life are tragic and sad, but I guess I appreciate that as being "real life." The end of the book wrapped up a bit neatly, but I can't think of how I would have written it differently. It was, overall, a very satisfying read.… (més)

The Tlingit fisherman asks us to rub the belly of a god for luck when we climb aboard his boat. The Buddhist spares a bite of food. The newly-reformed Christian sees every alien creed as demonic threat. And the grittily dour grandfather fills his home with statues in hopes that maybe one or another god might save him. Meanwhile an absent drug-addicted daughter, a sue-addicted tourist, and an all-too-present invasive crab are just the very tip of his ice-berg of troubles, while a delightfully, vividly real granddaughter is a wonderful saving grace.

The Gods of Second Chances blends evocative scenery, hauntingly real life and poverty, genuine Alaskan traditions and dreams, and a very modern plot into something truly beautiful. The voice is consistent, simultaneously gritty and smooth. Land, sea and weather are characters in their own right. The details drag the reader in, and second chances crawl like crabs into pots.

There’s a touch of romance, a grounding in misunderstandings, a wealth of age and culture gaps, pleasing humor, and a treasure of gods in this very human, very wonderful tale. It’s all presented with pithily perfect illustrations at the head of each chapter. A gorgeously rendered animal totem, symbolizing those gods perhaps, is crumbling down. But the urge to spare it belongs to the new world, not old. And a final collapse might mark the new beginning needed by all.

By turns sad, sweet, dark, scary, peaceful, frantic and wise, the God’s of Second Chances is a hauntingly beautiful book, just waiting for someone to grant it a first chance at fame. It’s highly recommended.

Disclosure: A friend loaned me this book. She thought I’d enjoy it. She was right!… (més)