Rate this book

An Earlier Heaven (2010)

by D.W. Marchwell(Favorite Author)

3.94 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

1615816402 (ISBN13: 9781615816408)

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Dreamspinner Press

series

Good to Know

review 1: William is such a sweetheart; I want to adopt him myself! I have really enjoyed watching the relationship between William and his dads develop over time. Jerry's love for William and insecurities about being a good father never failed to tug at my heartstrings. I love these two!Jerry's relationship with his husband, David, is sweet and satisfying as well, but didn't hold my interest as much. I would have enjoyed this book just as much without any of the sex scenes. That's actually a testament to how well written the characters are, because I don't typically enjoy books without a little somethin' somethin'.
review 2: Once again D.W. Marchwell has shown himself to be a master at taking us right into the hearts of minds of the people that come to life in his books... more. One of Marchwell’s strongest points is the depth, emotional and otherwise, that we experience. He’s an observer and he knows people; he takes us with him as he explores his characters and their lives, what makes them tick.I was somewhat trepidatious to dive into An Earlier Heaven, the sequel to his first book Good to Know, mostly because I didn’t know if he could revisit Jerry, David and William and do justice to Good to Know. Honestly, I should have known better; I’ve read all of his books and short stories to date and not once has he failed to captivate not only my imagination but my heart.And so it was with An Earlier Heaven. As for the title, I had no idea what, or how, it would tie in with the story. Silly me: Of course it does and it’s enough to even now make me feel a little teary-eyed.Finding Jerry, David and William more settled into family life was not unexpected; the love that David and Jerry have for each other and their son William is wonderfully depicted as well as vibrant and touching. Not that it’s unusual, by any means. But Jerry had long been the penultimate bachelor and David had learned to build walls so high that no one could breach them. Having a family of his own wasn’t anywhere on Jerry’s horizon nor, for David, an even distant possibility. Seeing that they had not only found a love together that surpassed any expectations, but had a son who had found a true home and two dads to go with it, was beautiful.As I alluded to at the beginning of this review, Mr. Marchwell is able to take his readers right to the very core of the people who, I could swear, are real people with their own unique personalities. And as the story progressed, David and Jerry’s concerns about being a good parent rang so true. Speaking as a mother of four now, alas, all adults and away from home, many of the worries that Jerry had of being a good enough father as well as protecting William from any and all hurt are issues that I experienced as well. As for David’s desire to be peacemaker and keep everyone in his family safe, secure and happy, I definitely understand him. But the family I came from—unlike Jerry who lost his parents at a relatively young age, or David whose family turned their backs on him when he announced he was gay—I grew up knowing lots of love and had my parents’ examples to follow; it did help a lot.William is a sweetheart, but he’s also a very normal eleven-year-old and I loved that he now felt that he had a home of his own as well as a family. Not a typical family, but William’s not someone who lives for ‘normal’. He’s such a mature child and he’s gone through enough in his few years to toughen up any body older. He has a gift for knowing someone at the heart and soul level even from the first meeting and this is something to cherish.And then there’s Cory. Oh boy, his story was heartbreaking. But he’s solid and caring and determined to get through whatever he has too. The more that we got to know about him, I felt so badly for him. High school, be it junior or senior, can truly be the toughest experiences of a young person’s life…and if their life away from school is as miserable as Cory’s then honestly I don’t know how he became the wonderful young man he is. And his interactions with William and then David and Jerry? Well heartwarming sums it up very nicely.For fans of D.W. Marchwell’s and those who loved Good to Know, then An Earlier Heaven is all the first book was and more. For those who’ve yet to get acquainted with this storyteller’s art—and what’s taking you so long anyway—let me advise you that you really don’t want to miss a single word. And if you’re a fan of thoughtful, introspective and touching, yet lightly humorous, stories, then you definitely want to treat yourself. But if you haven’t read Good to Know yet, be sure to indulge before you turn to An Earlier Heaven.Kathy K. less

Download links for: An Earlier Heaven

Advertising