Wind River

All Ty Sawyer wants is to forget what happened in Iraq. In Wyoming he'll find peace and keep his promise to take his friend Soren Anderton fly-fishing. But their trek to an idyllic lake quickly becomes mired in the deadly past as Soren confesses to a decades-old crime. A riveting story of guilt---and forgiveness. 352 pages, softcover from Bethany.

Five months after returning from Iraq, Tyler Perkins hardly cares about anything, not his marriage, not his future, nothing but the guilt he feels over the deaths of his squadron mates in Iraq. So author Tom Morrisey takes him to Wind River to fulfill a promise made years ago to his aged mentor: to take him into the mountains when he couldn’t go himself. But Soren Andeman, his mentor, has a decades-old agenda that has rocked his life. Together the two men seek a path that has life-and-death implications while a forest fire and a rogue bear threaten.

Morrissey explores the question of guilt and the freeing power of truth in Wind River, with a heavy reliance on Psalm 51, David’s song of confession. Ty and Soren are both men’s men and the strong friendship between the grieving young soldier and the octogenarian drive the interest in the story. Though not a suspense novel in the sense of a mystery or a thriller, this character-driven novel keeps you turning the pages. Well-written, the characters grab you: feisty outdoorsman Soren Andeman, and pain-deadened Ty. This is a novel that men can fully enjoy, as well as women. -- Debbie W. Wilson, www.ChristianBookPreviews.com

Morrisey’s sixth novel begins in a promising way with convincing, vivid descriptions of his young protagonist, first in the back country of Wyoming, and then in Iraq. The attention to detail suggests that the reader is in expert hands. But several more chapters in, the book devolves into a plodding and superficial treatment of two presumably scarred souls seeking redemption in the mountains near Wyoming’s Wind River. Much of the novel is a dissertation on wilderness camping and fly fishing, which seems designed more to showcase the author’s considerable knowledge of these subjects than to drive a narrative. The inevitable revelation of past secrets doesn’t start until two-thirds of the way in, and then spills forth in a single rush of confession, followed by an equally hurried and predictably convenient ending. Even readers who might appreciate the slow-paced exploration of beautiful country will be disappointed in the book’s hasty, shallow reflections on confession. Good and evil are carefully contained on separate sides of the track, with no question as to which characters belong where, and therefore little drama in their redemptive moments. (July) Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.

Average Rating:

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Reviewed by Tim George (Pensacola FL), December 13, 2009

Tyler Perkins has been married five years but with his wife less than a year total, fought in both Afghanistan and Iraq, and returned home with a survivor’s guilt that is eating away at both his marriage and his life. Now a postcard from an old friend beckons him to return to his roots in Wyoming at a place called Wind River. Encouraged by his desperate wife, Tyler drives across country to fulfill a promise he made as a boy to the old man who taught him about fly fishing, the mountains, and life. At first glance, Wind River is a gentle buddy story. It is the story of one man (Soren) who at 86 knows this is his last chance to visit the high country he has photographed and mapped for years and a boy become a man (Tyler) who in some ways wishes he had never left. If you don’t care for the rugged back country, tales of rogue grizzlies, and laying on your back with nothing but the stars for a nightlight some of the chapters may grow a bit tedious. Or perhaps it would do you well to slow down for a moment and see things through Soren’s and Tyler’s eyes. If you take the time you will discover two men whose secrets and wounds run deeper than the clear lake about to be named after the old man. Don’t let the pace or setting fool you though. Tyler has returned from war with quilt not only for what he has done but for what others have done for him. And just when you think this story is all about Tyler finding some kind of resolution you discover it is the old man who has ulterior motives for returning to the mountains he so loves. Tom Morrisey’s life as a world class rock climber, cave diver, and all-around adventurer shines through in this gentle yet powerful story of self-discovery and forgiveness. So set the world aside for a few hours and join Tyler and Soren at a place called Wind River.

Reviewed by Debra (Camp Verde, AZ), August 14, 2008

Tom Morrisey always surprises me that he can come up with new ideas for stories, that are fresh and different. Probably why I enjoy his stories so much. A lot of authors get stuck in ruts, and one can almost expect where the story will lead. Not with Tom. Tom, keep writing these stories, and I'll keep coming back for more.

Reviewed by Sheila Britt (Surfside Beach, SC), July 24, 2008

Was ok,,but the book turned out to be more about the trouble of the older man,Soren...wanted more about Ty...

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