THE HOUR I FIRST BELIEVED

THE HOUR I FIRST BELIEVED
Author: Wally Lamb
Copyright 2008
Harper Collins
ISBN: 978-0-06-039349-6
Hard Cover $29.95
752 pages
Fiction – Domestic & Psychological

Some things are just hard to describe such as this book, THE HOUR I FIRST BELIEVED. To cover as many issues such as the Columbine tragedy, the Civil War, posttraumatic stress syndrome, vehicular homicide, family history, women’s rights, and the prison system seems a bit overwhelming, but in this particular novel which is essentially the journey of Caelum Quirk and his wife, Maureen, it works.

Caelum Quirk is on his third marriage to his younger wife, Maureen. Maureen had an affair with another man and when Caelum was informed about this, he assaulted the other man. Due to this, Caelum as a high-school English teacher and Maureen as a nurse found it might be in their best interests to start over and to relocate to a different part of the country. They were delighted to both be hired by an area school in Littleton, Colorado and work at Columbine High School.

Life seemed to be quiet and the two attempted to reconnect again until Caelum received a phone call informing him that his aunt in Connecticut had just had a stroke and probably would not be able to live alone any longer. Caelum immediately made plans to return to his home with Maureen following in a few days.

While Caelum was visiting in Connecticut, his aunt had another stroke and died. While he was planning the funeral arrangements, the Columbine tragedy occurred and to make matters worse, Maureen had been in the library during the attack. She had hidden herself in a cabinet. As soon as Caelum heard what had happened, he immediately started phoning her and received no answers. So, he quickly flew back to Colorado and began searching for her. When he finally found her, little did he know, that life would never again be the same for them.

This book is their journey.

The characterization is extremely realistic with each person definitely having their own voice, personality, and ambitions. The organization is exceptionally smooth with numerous settings in time and place appearing seamless. The strength of this novel is the powerful message that unifies the stories.

Probably the weakest section of this novel is the depressive feelings from those suffering the posttraumatic stress and how each person was affected by it. Yes, that part was needed in order to actually understand though, how others overcame it and why some people never did.
Wally Lamb has written two others novels, SHE’S COME UNDONE and I KNOW THIS MUCH IS TRUE. Both of which I would recommend to everyone. Although different in theme, I found THE HOUR I FIRST BELIEVED the most enriching of the three. Mr. Lamb writes from his own experiences as a volunteer facilitator for a writing workshop in a women’s prison in Connecticut.

Even though this is a lengthy novel, it reads quickly and is well worth the time. I won’t spoil the message but I sincerely hope that others take the time to read and learn from this character in THE HOUR I FIRST BELIEVED.