REMINDER

 

THE MENDING 
Book-signing reception

THURSDAY, April 11, 2019 
6:30 p.m. 
The King's English
1511 South 1500 East
Salt Lake City, UT.

 

All members of The Class of 1963 are invited!
Light snacks and refreshments will be served beginning at 6:30 p.m.
ADMISSION:  No Cost, but please RSVP by email to rbscott@comcast.net or text to 508-785-0000, or respond to the "Book Signing Survey"

You may recall, that The Mending was originally scheduled to be released in time for our 55th Reunion last August as it is dedicated to the Class of 1963 and several classmates critiqued early drafts.

A few surprises along the way created delays. But, today  Austin Macauley Publishing of London and New York released the novel, which will soon be available in book shops throughout the U.S. It may be purchased right now in Hardback, Paperback and Kindle versions at Amazon  

Plenty of books will be on hand, and a pen will also be in the author's hand. The details:

Meantime, if you have already read all or parts of The Mending, or when you do,  please share your assessments here, on Goodreads, Facebook,  at Amazon, and/or at Ron's personal website

Below are comments from early readers of the book, including a few from classmates.

Recently, a reader from New York, no connections to Salt Lake, posted to Amazon and Goodreads: 

As with the great American novelists, each representing and explaining how their particular ethnicity manifests itself in the world, Scott delivered nuanced lessons of how powerful core ideas of family, friends and faith shape actions and reactions … the unbreakable bond of creation and family.  And, how the family, with all its blemishes, remains the wellspring of one’s life. What an incredibly worthwhile read!

Susan Lambourne Stevenson wrote:

Colorful, thought provoking, poignant, entertaining, edgy are a few of the adjectives I would use to describe The Mending. Ron’s unique application of language is spectacularly showcased in this reflective “coming of age” story about Benjamin Adams Pratt as he returns to his home town for a high school reunion (Sound familiar?).

The stories are recounted in exquisite, mesmerizing detail, loaded with unanticipated twists and turns that lead up to a surprise, real world conclusion. It’s a wonderful read.

 A favorite scene:  Ben (Pratt, the protagonist) walking around in the old city cemetery with his mother as she points out various neighbors, friends and relatives who resided there.  I sense his boredom as he listens to her rambling on about people who were so important to her, but not necessarily to him. It reminded me of similar conversations I had with my own father.

Diane Summerhays Strachan observed:

“As transient as our society is, Ben’s conflicted feelings about returning (home) have universal appeal. I loved the characters throughout the book. They have real experiences and face real problems. I found the reaction of the medical student’s parents particularly heart-wrenching.”

Chris Blakesley added:

“The Mending is poignant, funny, and riotous—at times tragic, lovely, and transcendent. With candor and in an enjoyable, redolent style, Scott tests the meaning of life and love as he explores the eccentricities of the Mormon culture, dogma, tensions, and its people. The questions posed are those posed by religion, by life—religious or not. Like John Irving, Phillip Roth, and even Walker Percy, Scott lets us feel the poignancy and value of life where occasionally humor, tragedy, and hallowed moments coincide..."  

Mark Theodore notes: 

“A forthcoming milestone high school reunion reconnects the protagonist (Ben Pratt) with the city of his birth and many childhood friends, described thoroughly in captivating stream-of-consciousness narratives.”

Jim Jansen captures the enigmatic protagonist well:

“Scott does an amazing thing, while introducing (Ben) Pratt as a pretentious, self-absorbed curmudgeon that readers may dislike. He masterfully allows Pratt’s savvy and adoring wife and observant family members and friends, to adjust misperceptions and transform him into an accommodating and kind, if surprisingly complicated and compromised human being.”

It should be a fun evening and a chance to connect with friends, a segue to planning for our collective 75th Birthday celebration in August of 2020.