The Shadow Taker

I told you earlier this week about a book called "Charlie's Monument" by Blaine Yorgason.  Have you read it yet?  You should.  It is wonderful (shoot, maybe I am building it up too much and then you will hate it because your expectations were too high...um...it is mediocre, but REALLY REALLY read it anyway).

Remembering that book also remembered me another book by Mr. Yorgason that I loved and have read over and over.  It's called "The Shadow Taker."

Now, I admit that I am a sucker for a good title and when I first read this book (I was 11 then) it was because I got suckered into the name of the book.  I'm ok with that.  Generally speaking, a good title leads to a decent book (Other examples: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, The Man Who Loved Books Too Much, The Book of Lost Things, The Wednesday Wars, Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter - Witch, or Uglies to name a few).  Of course, many books with ridiculous or limp or trite titles are among my favorites as well so it's not exactly a perfect system.

Anyway, this book is about a self-important young business man who gets stranded in the dessert when his Jeep conks out on him and how he comes to see the person he really is as well as the person he wants to become with the help of an old Native American shadow man.

But, the real beauty here is that this is a book that will make you think.  This is not one of those, "Oh that was nice," lay it on the bedside table and move on with life as usual sort of reads.  This is a book with teeth -- now they are little, and not painful, but they sink in so the story stays with you for a bit and you can't help but examine your life and your choices because of what is written on these pages.

Anyway, yeah, if you need something to let  your brain wander across, this story is maybe a good fit for you.  I don't think you'll be disappointed.  It isn't a long book and it moves quickly so it is a fast read.  Plus, it is set in the Utah dessert and the imagery is fluid and thick in the most heated and amazing way.  I really think you'll like it (but let me know).