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The Pendulum's Path
 
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The Pendulum's Path [Paperback]

Dave Shields (Author)
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)

Price: $18.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
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Book Description

December 5, 2001
David Shields has crafted a brutally honest novel of family, religion, and relationships. This story transcends the boundaries of the Salt Lake Valley where it’s set, ultimately soaring above and beyond the towering peaks of the Wasatch Front. The themes woven through The Pendulum’s Path will resonate with readers of all cultures.

In The Pendulum's Path, Tom Lewis becomes aware of a dark family secret as the result of chance meeting with Martin Crump, a man he thought to be his uncle. Tom discovers this at a time when his life is already chock full of obligation. Foremost among them are the preparations for the birth of his first child. His wife´s discomfort regarding Martin complicates things. She begs Tom to stay away from the old man.

Tom, however, can´t help being drawn to the mystery of his own origins. He´s dragged in by tiny increments, until he finds himself so involved that pieces of his present day life begin to show signs of serious neglect. Still, the almost magnetic attraction to discover who he really is will not release him.

The result is a pair of interwoven stories, one the saga of the family he was born to, and the other, his present day life and growth as a man against the backdrop of the day to day failures and triumphs of his grandparents and their three children.

Eventually, both Tom and Martin learn great lessons about the value of relationships while together climbing Mount Olympus, the peak that soars above their Salt Lake Valley homes. At journeys end both men find themselves forever changed.


Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

David Shields has crafted a brutally honest novel of family, religion, and relationships. This story transcends the boundaries of the Salt Lake Valley where it's set, ultimately soaring above and beyond the towering peaks of the Wasatch Front. The themes woven through The Pendulum's Path will resonate with readers of all cultures.

In The Pendulum's Path, Tom Lewis becomes aware of a dark family secret as the result of chance meeting with Martin Crump, a man he thought to be his uncle. Tom discovers this at a time when his life is already chock full of obligation. Foremost among them are the preparations for the birth of his first child. His wife´s discomfort regarding Martin complicates things. She begs Tom to stay away from the old man.

Tom, however, can´t help being drawn to the mystery of his own origins. He´s dragged in by tiny increments, until he finds himself so involved that pieces of his present day life begin to show signs of serious neglect. Still, the almost magnetic attraction to discover who he really is will not release him.

The result is a pair of interwoven stories, one the saga of the family he was born to, and the other, his present day life and growth as a man against the backdrop of the day to day failures and triumphs of his grandparents and their three children.

Eventually, both Tom and Martin learn great lessons about the value of relationships while together climbing Mount Olympus, the peak that soars above their Salt Lake Valley homes. At journeys end both men find themselves forever changed.

From the Author

I've always loved writing, always known it would play an integral part in my life. The Pendulum'sPath is the result of two years worth of writing after work and on lunch breaks, followed by three more years of increasingly intense revision. When I started this project I had no comprehension of its complexity. I've been lucky because skilled authors have lent a hand as my story has progressed. What a journey it's been.

The reactions of early readers have made it all worthwhile. I'm delighted when I learn that people laugh in the right places, I'm happy when they sympathize with my characters, and I'm pleased when they find meaning in my story. I'll never forget the first time a reader told me my words brought tears. I knew in that moment I'd experienced the closest thing to telepathy I'll ever be capable of—creating images, scenes, and emotions in another persons mind when we're miles apart.

Breaking through as a new novelist is a daunting task. Good books will not rise to the top on their own. Each aspiring author must convince readers, one by one, that spending time with their words will be worth a large investment of the world's scarcest resource... time. I hope that you decide to read my book. After you do, please drop me a line to let me know what you think.


Product Details

  • Paperback: 328 pages
  • Publisher: Xlibris Corp (December 5, 2001)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1401030270
  • ISBN-13: 978-1401030278
  • Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,979,889 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

15 Reviews
5 star:
 (11)
4 star:
 (4)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (15 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Stable Family Man With Tumultuous Past: The Pendulum's Path, January 13, 2002
This review is from: The Pendulum's Path (Paperback)
I admit, up front, that I'm an escapist reader. I like my fiction with a meat-and-potatoes kind of action or adventure. But once I stuck my nose in Dave Shields' book, I couldn't put it down.
Tom Lewis is a happily-married white-collar guy with his own office, an optimistic outlook and his first baby on the way. Then a chance encounter with a nigh-forgotten relative turns his world upside-down: His mother is not his mother; his uncle is not his uncle--his entire life has been a lie.
I think I was more fascinated with Uncle Martin's episodic revelations than even his own nephew--the man had an unorthodox childhood, to say the least. Piece-by-piece, he presents a secret family history that will shatter our hero's identity, lead him to question his own self-worth...but, ultimately, motivate him to find and know his real father.
The Pendulum's Path is set in Salt Lake City. I've passed through it a couple times, but my view from the highway gave me no insights as to how this city is different from any other. Not only does Dave Sheilds' book show us how it's different, his cultural microcosm of a Mormon family also reveals how people are so much the same, wherever and whenever they happen to live.
Regardless of what you know (or don't know) about Utah, Mormonism or rock-climbing (did I fail to mention that?), The Pendulum's Path will grab you.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read that thoroughly satisfies, February 14, 2002
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This review is from: The Pendulum's Path (Paperback)
I'm glad I read this novel. The characters were well developed and highly varied, keeping things interesting. The writing is strong. The story is something I easily sunk into, and I enjoyed staying in the world the author created. An important criterion for recommending a novel is the ending. I want to feel something, see a resolution, and understand why this novel was written and what it was leading to. I want to close the cover feeling grateful that I invested the time to read it. I got all that with The Pendulum's Path. An easy five star rating for me.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Tragic Yet Triumphant, October 19, 2002
By 
L. Dunn (Paris, TN United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Pendulum's Path (Paperback)
An intensely enjoyable novel about family, religion and the majesty of Utah. An exhilarating and moving story. Dave Shields shows that even when things look hopeless, you can be determined to make it better.
I recommend this book highly.
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