Book Review: Ollie Come Free

 

Ollie Come Free

 

            This is a very interesting and easy read.

 

            Ollie isn’t what you’d call an athlete by any stretch of the imagination. He’s more of the class clown. His brother Cody is the athlete. His favorite sport is baseball of which he and his dad share a collective interest. All of that changes when Ollie is leaning against a light pole and a bolt of lightning strikes the pole, electrocuting Ollie. Life would never be the same again.

            Their parents, Bob and Cathy are running cattle ranch and are struggling to keep it afloat. Bob is a grizzles veteran of Vietnam and hard headed. No, isn’t in his dictionary, nor is giving up. He keeps hoping he will find the lost treasure Jubal Wainwright hid on the property back in 1887, For generations, his family and other, searched for the hidden treasure with zero luck. Occasionally, a coin or two would be discovered, but the motherlode eluded all who sought it out. If Bob could find it, all of his troubles would go away. Ollie’s fate with mother nature would put the search on hold and only add to the family’s financial woes.

            Add tot that, one of Bob’s Vietnam and drinking buddies, Ralph Durbin has his parole hearing for killing his wife in a drunken state. Did I mention, Cathy can’t stand him and wants her husband to have nothing to do with him. Bob has a soft spot for his buddy and when he’s released, decides to put him to work on the ranch. Yeah, Cathy is not a fan of this at all at let’s Ralph know it. That’s a pretty good premise for a story.

            Still not hooked?

            Ollie’s misfortune because a silver lining when he becomes an artistic savant. While his bubbling personality has vanished, he is able to draw anything he sees in exact detail even if he only sees it for a few seconds. As Ollie’s talent flourishes, the relationship between Cody and his family becomes strained to say the least. Cody feels abandoned and begins a journey into a dark abyss, figuratively and literally. Desperate to have money, he steals some of Ollie’s drawings and posts them on E-Bay and then writes a letter to the ABC affiliate in Los Angeles. This turns into a huge publicity bonanza that causes Ollie’s drawings price to explode. I will add in, Cathy isn’t too fond of this. Why? Because Ollie has a problem with human interaction and people in general. This exposure could unravel all of the therapy Ollie has been undergoing for the past years trying to fit in and have a normal life. Let’s say, just the opposite happens.

            I’ll also add in Ralph has a daughter, who wants nothing to do with him.  He tries to make amends by sending her money in hopes she will someday forgive him for the heinous crime hi committed so many years ago. Top that off, he’s a grandfather. While he hopes for the best, he never expects to see her or his grandson in his lifetime, and he’s resigned to that harsh reality of his past actions.

            Okay, to write anymore would give away too much of this well-crafted tale. Trust me, if you’re a fan of redemption, heart-break, murder and revelations, you can’t pass this one up!

                       

            Hands down, a solid four-star story

Clikn on the link to get a copy today! Ollie Come Free