The Ramblers

Aidan Rowley has crafted a fabulous novel about three, likable 30-something friends residing in NYC, having originally met at Yale. The life span of the book is one-week, and each person (Cleo, Smith and Tate) have separate chapters of their own but it all blends into a reflection of their lives. Each has experienced a trauma he is trying to recover from. And the events taking place in the one-week period are with their own perils and pitfalls. It doesn't help that it is the week of Thanksgiving, which brings out a lot of mixed familial emotions in most people. But it's during this week that they individually recognize that they can't change the past but they can change the present and the future. You can see the growth each experiences as they confront their demons and face the truth about themselves, as they help each other to succeed. The fact that it is set in NYC is icing on the cake. Rowley writes in such a picturesque way that I could envision it in my head. To be honest, I wasn't attracted to the title as I had an immediate reaction that I would not like the book. It's actually a perfect title for the novel in more ways then one, and the book cover should win an award.