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Professional Reviews
New Zealands Writers' Website-Book Reviews
I don't usually review novels for this website that aren't written by New Zealand authors or published by New Zealand publishers and I may come under scrutiny for reviewing this one, but as Books Editor I feel I have a responsibility of giving recognition where it's due, no matter where the author comes from. It was the thought-provoking cover which tempted me - a black and white photo of a man standing beside his Harley Davidson motorbike in the desert. This debut fictional novel is the story of a man who goes on a journey both physically and mentally after his marriage break-up. Ron Healy heads west to California where he stops for a while in a small town and meets a wise old man, and a blonde-haired woman who offers him love. While living in a house truck Ron buys his dream bike, a Harley Davidson, and this is the start of his quest to put things right in his life. The strengths of this novel lie in the characterisation where Ron is portrayed as an ordinary guy whose thoughts echo in us all. The evocative descriptions of life in America and, in particular, the wonderful trips on his motorbike are realistic and all absorbing. Cox's words come across, at times, as philosophical and I found by midway through the novel I was looking to the story to answer some of my own unanswered questions in life. Sex scenes are played entirely in sync with the character, are explicit and are extremely well written. Interestingly, the story works on another level too, which reminds us that there are hidden depths to each human being and that the biker isn't always the drug pusher with violent tendencies he or she is often portrayed to be. Reading the blurb on the back cover, this novel won a merit award for "Best first book by a publisher" from Midwest Independent Publishers Association. This is certainly a compelling story and one where the characters linger in your mind long after the story is finished.
Reviewed by Loren Teague of NZ Writers Website, 4 February 2001
Loren Teague has also written a novel called Jagged Greenstone.
You can view her novel information via the above link.
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