The Hour I First Believed: A Novel by Wally Lamb
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
At first I wasn’t so sure about this book . . . Eighty-odd pages into it, the protagonist/1st-person-narrator, Caelum Quirk, was a real jerk — one of those kind of people whom I avoid in real life. But the novel (all 723 pages of it) promised something of more significance than just a journey into jerkdom. So I gave the bestselling author, Wally Lamb, fifty more pages to convince me that, indeed, the rest of the book would be worth my while. No sooner had I issued the challenge, Lamb delivered in a powerful tour de force. Via the tragedy at Columbine High School, a failing marriage, and his wounded childhood, protagonist Caelum Quirk navigates the pathetic, purposeless maze of his life, slaying his monsters and demons to finally emerge with true purpose and meaning. The characters come across as real, flesh-and-blood people, the everyday Joes among us — all of whom harbor secrets, grievances, and ancient monsters too frightening to behold. I only had two complaints: 1) the author placed Caelum in the midst of, not just one media sensation, but multiple ones (all random), making Caelum seem rather like the Forrest Gump of high profile tragedies. 2) The forays into Quirk family history tended toward tedium and could have been considerably reduced, serving to increase rather than diminish the novel’s message. Those minor issues aside, THE HOUR I FIRST BELIEVED is a novel of healing, self-discovery, courage, and compassion. Readers will not be sorry they turned that next page.
September 25th, 2009
The Hour I First Believed
Posted in Book Reviews -- Adult and YA Literature | Share/Bookmark 
Despite your interesting article I have to put a clear comment: Is Africa a dead continent? The nightmare of hungry people, weapons and war seems to be endless.
I admit, there are times watching the news when I feel like Africa is too committed to a course of self-destruction for anything we do to make a difference. It is certainly overwhelming. Then I remember all the people that I know there, and the despair that has been turned to hope just through the little that I have been able to do. Two days ago, my friend Wilfred in Tanzania told me, “we do appreciate the great work you are doing to make the future of orphans and widows have a defined destiny. The lost hope has been restored ,the sun which was setting for them is now rising. . . .” Even if I give hope and a future to only one child, or ten, or a hundred and ten, it is worth it. And there are many, many Africans who see the issues clearly and who are working tirelessly and without violence to bring peace to their continent. It will not happen overnight, but it certainly will not happen if we turn away.