Bewilderment

An inspiring story set in the time of the Great Depression, Bewilderment: A Novel of the Great Depression follows the story of a coal delivery man, Gabriel “Gabe” Goodfellow, who wants to lighten the hearts of the people in homes he visits. Poverty is felt everywhere and people are hopeless. So, he thinks that there can be some joy and inspiration by arranging for the carnival to visit the town. His intentions are pure and altruistic, but then he has to deal with family problems. Things get complicated when manipulative and greedy local politicians get involved. Will Gabe achieve his goal and put smiles on the faces of his townsfolk or will his project be arrested before it even becomes a reality? The prose is sprinkled with succinct and vivid descriptions of the city and some of the elements that readers can easily visualize. While the story is set in the 1930s, it is filled with realism and humanity and today's readers can easily relate to its message and the characters. Bewilderment is hugely inspiring and entertaining.

Gobi Jane for Readers' Favorite

Don Gutteridge was born in Sarnia and raised in the nearby village of Point Edward. He taught High School English for seven years, later becoming a Professor in the Faculty of Education at Western University, where he is now Professor Emeritus. He is the author of seventy-one books: poetry, fiction and scholarly works in educational theory and practice. He has published twenty-two novels, including the twelve-volume Marc Edwards mystery series, and thirty-nine books of poetry, one of which, Coppermine, was short-listed for the 1973 Governor-General's Award. In 1970 he won the UWO President's Medal for the best periodical poem of that year, “Death at Quebec.” To listen to interviews with the author, go to: http://thereandthen.podbean.com.

Don lives in London, Ontario.