Broken Laces [Kindle Edition]

Rodney Walther (Author)

Book Description

Everyone deserves a second chance.

Jack "The Cannon" Kennedy thinks he's living the American Dream. A fancy house in the Houston suburbs. A promising career. And a loving wife who tolerates his long hours and selfish ways.

In one horrific instant, he loses his wife. Then his job. Then his hope. And that just leaves Kellen, the young son Jack hardly knows or understands.

Jack realizes he must reconnect with Kellen or they'll never get past their shared grief. But Jack's biggest obstacle is staring back from the mirror.

Desperate to reach Kellen, he turns to baseball, the game he once loved. With Jack, a win-at-all-costs former star pitcher, coaching his son's Little League team, what could possibly go wrong?

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Rodney Walther is an award-winning author who brings his perspective as a father and a "baseball guy" to BROKEN LACES. An experienced manager, coach, league director, and volunteer umpire, Rodney knows firsthand the characters that populate Little League fields.

Writing awards include contest wins from the Houston Writers Guild, Maryland Writers' Association, North Texas Professional Writers Association, Panhandle Professional Writers, and West Virginia Writers, plus finalist status at the prestigious Writers' League of Texas manuscript contest.

Judges have consistently praised Rodney's strong narrative and his ability to evoke powerful emotions. Comments include:
-- "You have an excellent sense of story and a native ability to infuse the story with emotion." (Houston Writers Guild)
-- "There is intelligence, verve, and sensitivity in your style." (Crested Butte)
-- "Good 3 dimensional characterizations... making us like [Jack] and not like him at the same time." (Writers' League of Texas)
-- "Powerfully compelling." (San Gabriel Writers League)

Rodney is an active member of the Houston Writers Guild and the Writers' League of Texas.

Product Details

• File Size: 532 KB
• Print Length: 312 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0982944608
• Publisher: Redstone Ranch Press (November 9, 2010)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B004DNWIEG
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,519 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • #5 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Death & Grief
  • #6 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Nonfiction > Sports > Baseball
  • #8 in Books > Self-Help > Death & Grief > Grief & Bereavement

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

60 of 62 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Better than Nicholas Sparks . . . February 1, 2011

By Nom De Plume

Format:Paperback

I am a voracious reader of literary fiction, and I am a fan of the works of Nicholas Sparks, Jodi Picoult, etc. I enjoy the realism of these fictional portrayals of romance, redemption, tragedy, and love.
I was browsing through Jodi Picoult's works on Amazon one day, looking for a new book to keep me occupied on an upcoming business trip, and I noticed this book and the great reviews it had received.
I was in the mood to try something new, and it was a good deal, so I ordered it.
I am glad I did.

I found the book enjoyable on many levels, and preferred Mr. Walther's writing style to Sparks' because of the readability and the ease of which he moves from scene to scene.
I found the characters to be interesting and believable, and I identified with Jack as he struggled to overcome the loss of a loved one, the challenges of fatherhood and coaching, and the every day struggles against his own flaws.

Rodney Walther is a skilled writer and I highly recommend this book.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars A powerful story April 21, 2011

By C. Thilmany VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Due to his job, Jack is away from the house about 12 hours a day. It doesn't leave him a lot of time to be with his family, something his wife complained about often enough. When his wife dies in a car accident, Jack discovers he really doesn't know his 7 year-old son, nor does he know how to be a parent. The book is about the struggle and mistakes Jack makes with his son while dealing with his own grief. Jack hopes baseball, something he'd been very good at in his youth until his hand was injured, will bring him and his son together.

This book should appeal greatly to anyone who has been through little league or has a child who is playing. It will also grab many who lost a parent at an early age, or a spouse while raising a child. An excellent job has been done by the author in regards to the mistakes and misunderstandings that can happen between parent and child, especially involving grief or a parent's expectations of their young athlete. Jack struggles through a good portion of the book until finally reaching some realizations. The mistakes made are obvious to the reader, but then again, it's difficult to see the picture when you're standing in the middle of it. A large chunk of the book is devoted to baseball as this is Jack's passion.

I didn't have children, lose a parent at a young age or ever been involved in little league, so while a good read, I imagine the story doesn't have the same impact for me as it would otherwise. A good portion of the book deals with the struggle, which can get uncomfortable at times. A number of times I wanted to set the book aside and read something that didn't involve such emotional struggle, at least until 75% into the story when Jack starts seeing things differently.... It's good to see Jack grow and become a better person and parent.

Assigning stars to this story is difficult for me. The problems Jack and his son face seem to be dead on for the type of person Jack is and what you'd expect them to be feeling. An excellent job was done on the main characters. For that and the writing itself, I would want to give it 5 stars. But I can't personally give that to a book that would have been easy for me to set aside. I will admit to being glad I read it and would prefer a rating of 3.5 stars.

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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I couldn't wait to get back to it! December 3, 2010

By Mary L. Stafford

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Jack is a regular guy, okay a driven, self-involved, confident guy who takes for granted the dearest parts of his life--until the death of his wife punches home the reality of his vulnerability. I wanted to smack him, then comfort him, then smack him again. The shake-your-head irony of his struggle combined with his own self-effacing humor, never mind bravado, makes Jack character I won't forget. BROKEN LACES is a wonderful read!

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Jeff Dawson Author,Coach,Umpire Single Paren December 28, 2010

By Jeff Dawson

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I just finished reading the book. I was torn between a four star and five star review. I really understand who Jack is. I went back to the days of coaching and realized in my last year of coaching that life was taking its' toll. Divorced, single parent, and a struggling company. I had become " Jack" in that last season. I was being way to hard on the boys and my son. It finally boiled over in a game to the point one of the assistants called me out during the game. I realized it was time to step down and regroup. The next year I was a supporting fan and did not interfere with the coaches. It was humbling but gave me a chance to reflect and just watch my two sons and daughter just play the game for fun. Baseball taught me how to be a dad again and to just sit back and relax.

Reading about Melanie was very difficult as I lost my fiance in 2009 to cancer. Those memories are always there and never completely leave us. Thank you Rodney, I needed that healing. I will be re-reading those parts again and again.

I don't want to steal any attention from Mr. Walther, but I couldn't help but notice how this book and two I just put out are really tied in with each other. A Baseball Coaching Manual that puts the fun back into baseball and Gods Plan A Glimpse Into Ones Life. All three make a perfect trilogy.

In closing the lessons Mr. Walther brings to light are true life lessons, baseball is a timeless sport and teaches us the value of friends, family and God. Thank you for an excellent book.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Truly engaging December 10, 2010

By John Oehler

Format:Paperback

Broken Laces starts with a bang. In the very first chapter, Jack Kennedy witnesses in his rearview mirror the horrific car accident that kills his wife. Before that terrible moment, Jack was the kind of guy we've all known, a successful businessman living the suburban American dream, a man whose work too often came before family. Now he's shattered, his young son is traumatized to the point of two-word sentences -- when he speaks at all -- and Jack is faced not only with single parenthood, but with the bewildering task of trying to gain the love of the boy he never really knew. The road ahead is something no parent should ever have to navigate. Jack stumbles along it in ways that make the reader sometimes hate him, sometimes love him, sometimes cringe, sometimes cheer, and sometimes literally cry. The author is a master at doing this to us, taking us on an emotional rollercoaster (pardon the mixed metaphors) and ultimately, thankfully, leaving us satisfied. People who like the stories of Nicholas Sparks will love Broken Laces. And people who like sports stories will be especially gratified because a key factor throughout the story, for both the highs and the lows, is baseball.

More About the Author

Follow Rodney's Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/rodney.walther.author

Visit Rodney's website at http://www.RodneyWalther.com