Recovering Charles [Hardcover]

Jason F. Wright (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 16, 2008

Luke Millward is a man who does not know he is lost. His girlfriend loves him; his career is going well; and every night he falls asleep knowing that his life is good and meaningful. Only when the past reveals its twisted smile in a phone call and the disconnected voice asks him to come find his father in post-Katrina New Orleans is Luke compelled to find out what kind of man he truly is. Recovering Charles is for every family who's had its share of tough times, for anyone who regrets the things you've never said, for everyone who needs to know their life has a second verse.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Recovering Charles is a reminder to families everywhere that lives do have second verses, and that the things said in anger, and those words left unsaid in the aftermath of anger, do not necessarily have to lead to a lifetime of regrets. People can, and do, change, and oftentimes life s second verse is the sweeter of the two. Recovering Charles is another inspirational Christmas season offering from Jason Wright, one with the potential to change lives for the better. --Curled Up With a Good Book Recovering Charles is a riveting story of hope, healing, and, above all, faith. I was profoundly touched by seeing my own struggles reflected in its pages and inspired by its message that life can always have a second verse. Take my advice, you don t need to read this review, you just need to read the book! --Blogger News Network

This New York Times bestselling author cuts deeply into the soul of New Orleans residents, and weaves a touching, if somewhat sentimental, tale of paternal love and emotional resurrection. Lukes personal journey to New Orleans reveals much about his father s recent life, including his recovery from alcoholism, a fascinating and mysterious fiancee, a revived musical career, and a group of intensely loyal friends who make it their personal mission to reacquaint Luke with his father. Wright has previously published three novels, The James Miracle, Christmas Jars and The Wednesday Letters, and is also a well-known political/social editorialist. In Recovering Charles, mystery and romance readers will be hooked on Lukes puzzling search and his encounter with an exotic mystery woman while in New Orleans. Readers favoring realism will suffer Lukes pain through aptly described recollections of his childhood. With a harsh dose of reality, Wright is accomplished in his use of imagery, as his descriptions of New Orleans are often graphic and moving. His plethora of New Orleans characters are intriguing and occasionally puzzling, if not particularly inspiring. In a surprising twist, the unexpected conclusion leads Luke to a place he never imagined, and leaves the reader with much to ponder. --Foreword Magazine

Take my advice, you dont need to read this review, you just need to read the book! Just go to Amazon and buy it! Oh, you are still reading, I guess I will have to explain why this is the book of the year in my mind. Jason Wright is no newcomer to the literary world and his two prior books, Christmas Jars and The Wednesday Letters, both achieved critical acclaim and also a New York Times bestseller. With these credentials you would expect Recovering Charles to be well laid out plot wise and eloquent in the use of language. It most certainly is! Some might argue that Recovering Charles is a little slow getting out of the starting blocks, however, in retrospect the first part of the book is fundamental to understanding the entire story, Jason Wright took the correct approach. I feel a very personal attachment to this book. My wife is from Slidell, which was devastated by Katrina. She did not sleep for days, frantic trying to get information about her family, all of which were in the New Orleans area. The phones were not working, the images on the TV were horrific, this was not America, it could not be happening here. These disasters happen in other countries, not at home. We spent countless hours in the internet, bits of that infrastructure were still working. We scoured NOAA reconnaissance photography, satellite pictures, we searched the lists of evacuees, we left messages on bulletin boards, and we kept dialing phone numbers. Jason Wright has encapsulated all of the emotions that we felt during that time. His descriptive writing is unparalleled, he picks up on small things, a child's broken toy, a picture frame showing a happy mother and her newborn baby. These are powerful images. Recovering Charles is an evocative and emotional read, and even though a work of fiction, I can guarantee that you will have a lump in your throat when you finish reading it. This book deserves to be on the New York Times best seller list, it certainly is one that I will remember for a very long time. As a reviewer I rarely have the luxury of time to read a book twice, I will make time for Recovering Charles. --GoArticles.com

About the Author

Jason F. Wright is the New York Times bestselling author of Christmas Jars and The Wednesday Letters. He lives in Woodstock, Virginia with his wife, Kodi, and their four children. A sign on their door reads, Friends welcome. Family by appointment only.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Shadow Mountain; First Edition edition (September 16, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590389646
• ISBN-13: 978-1590389645
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #513,920 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jason Wright is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USAToday bestselling author. He is also a political commentator and the co-founder of http://www.politicalderby.com, a popular website for political junkies.

Articles by Jason have appeared in over 50 newspapers and magazines across the United States including The Washington Times, The Chicago Tribune, and Forbes. He is the author of The James Miracle (2004); Christmas Jars (2005); The Wednesday Letters (2007); Recovering Charles (2008), Christmas Jars Reunion (2009); Penny's Christmas Jar Miracle (2009); The Cross Gardener (2010); The Seventeen Second Miracle (2010); and The Wedding Letters (2011).

Jason is also a popular speaker who speaks on the origin of the Christmas Jar movement, the value of service, the lost art of letter writing and many other topics. (Click here to learn more about booking Jason for your event.)

Jason has been seen on CNN, Fox News, C-SPAN, and on local television affiliates around the country.

Jason is from Charlottesville, Virginia, but has also lived in Germany, Illinois, Brazil, Oregon and Utah. In 2007, while researching Virginia's Shenandoah Valley for his novel The Wednesday Letters, Jason fell so in love with the area that he moved his family westward from northern Virginia into the heart of the Valley.

Jason is married to Kodi Erekson Wright. They have two girls, two boys, and are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Never knew how bad Katrina was, October 23, 2008

By 

Karen L. Hopson (Portland, Oregon United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Recovering Charles (Hardcover)

I almost put this book aside because the first few chapters bored me. If this happens to you, don't!!! It picks up big time and you'll be utterly transformed. The devastating storm of Katrina is brilliantly depicted as the main character wanders around the New Orleans area after the storm looking for his father. The television coverage was good of Katrina, but this book makes it even more descriptive of the utter ruin of people's lives.
I could smell the stench of the Convention Center where the victims went for shelter.

Articulately written.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow!, October 14, 2008

By 

S. Guest (Logan, Utah) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Recovering Charles (Hardcover)

This spellbinding tale left me speechless for several hours after finishing it as I processed the various situations and emotions that must have been felt by the characters. I often find myself relating to one of the main characters, but in an interesting twist- I found myself relating to each one of the main characters in this story in different circumstances in my life. Jason has hit the very core of so many emotions we all experience at one time or another during our lives: love denied, loss, estrangement, natural disasters, fear and betrayal. Yet in his powerful way he weaves these difficult emotions into a story of healing, hope, faith and binding love. I highly recommend this story to everyone who yearns to see the difficult circumstances of our lives become the strength and joy that sees us through to the next day.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Never the Same, November 21, 2008

By 

Ashley Redburn - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Recovering Charles (Hardcover)

I just finished 'Recovering Charles' by Jason Wright. I am really torn at how I feel. This book has left me really pondering life and love. Here are my thoughts:
Thought #1: This is a great book on relationships. Romantic, friendships, parent / child...they are all covered in this book!
Thought #2: This is an extremely educational book - I learned more about Hurricane Katrina while reading this book than I have ever known...and this is a fiction novel. I realize now how little attention I pay to world events.
Thought #3: This book was very unlike the other two of his that I have read (The Christmas Jars and The Wednesday Letters). I feel as though he has reached a new level in his writing...one that I enjoy...but hope that we will see more "light-hearted", easy to reads coming from him in the future.
Thought #4: I'm mentally exhausted.