It always amazes me when someone writes a great first novel. It takes a compelling plot, realistic characters, good dialogue, and for me, intrigue that keeps me reading, wanting to know what happens next.
Thomas Torrington does all of this in his first novel, Evergreen. Set in my area of central Maine, where Thomas worked for 20 years as a golf teaching professional, Evergreen takes the reader on a long and sometimes very difficult journey through the lives of neighboring families who suffer more than their share of tragedies, along with wonderful experiences.
Lots of bad mistakes are made by some of the characters, but overall, this is a very hopeful and inspiring story.
There are lots of good messages from faith-based journeys to raising children. In a message to his children at the beginning of the book, Thomas wrote: “Everything I could hope to teach you can be found within these pages.” All I can add is: great job Thomas!
Thomas is now a stay-at-home Dad, focused on his family and his writing. I can only hope he’s working on a new novel.