An unvarnished coming-of-age story set in a time of geopolitical unrest.
Approaching the teenage years is never without trouble, but growing up in an era of random air-raid drills and looming nuclear attacks adds a constant haze of dread for 12-year-old Willie Blevin. Having lost his parents at a young age, Willie is left with his closed-off grandfather and college-aged brother to help him cope in a changing world. But even his brother Denny struggles to see exactly where he fits in among his peers. A family tragedy that has never been talked about looms heavily on the minds but never on the lips of this calloused family of men. Smoothing out all the rough spots in their story are a few friends, neighbors and family members with crushing problems of their own. Together, these intertwined characters navigate American life in the throes of Cold War hostilities. Between a volatile political landscape and the trials common to young-manhood, Denny and Willie learn through a series of events and the passing of time just who can be counted on when things go sideways. And things always seem to go sideways.
If you’re the sort of reader that enjoys learning what makes people tick, there will be no end to the intimate discoveries as you witness the evolution of Willie, Denny and the complete cast of honest characters in David B. Seaburn’s Give Me Shelter. This varied cast exhibits exaggerated yet emotionally valid viewpoints on current events and world conditions as they face them. But regardless of the accuracy of their worldviews, fears are fears and they have a way of controlling everyone. A touching example comes as Denny pieces together what it means to act like a man in a culture that demeans anyone who stands out as different. His journey is bumpy, but his growth is steady. Similarly, for Willie, only a handful of sepia-colored memories of his parents remain, yet he pushes through the frightening moments and is able to develop sincere relationships despite the emotional gaps that his family’s departure left. From Khrushchev and Kennedy to pinball machines and backyard bomb shelters, Give Me Shelter is an unvarnished coming-of-age story set in a time of geopolitical unrest that highlights the ties that bind us all.
