Sedimental Journey

by Richard Widerkehr
Fiction
191 pages
ISBN 0-9724986-0-5

Readers looking for something edgy and offbeat will enjoy Richard Widerkehr's novel, Sedimental Journey, about a 40-year old geology professor whose marriage and career disintegrate as he falls in love with a fictional woman.

Widerkehr artfully weaves the tale of assistant professor Alton Bloome as he undergoes both a real and fictional mid-life crisis, exploring the merits of being in a love with a fictional character, Eloise, from a book of short stories. Riveted to Bloome's accounts of his relationship and career woes, the reader learns both the joys and agonies of rediscovery through the eyes of a man torn between the familiar and the unknown.

The reader is easily drawn into Bloome's story as it rapidly unfolds. The book, which does not fit into any particular  genre, contains something for almost everyone: romance, mystery, science, and intimacy. While many are accustomed to reading mystery and scientific novels written by men, it is refreshing to read about romance and intimacy from a man's perspective.

In addition to the fascinating geologic references, Widerkehr magnificently holds the reader's attention as the book waffles back and forth between reality and fiction, causing the reader to question what is real and what is not. Widerkehr wraps up the novel ambiguously enough to make the reader wonder not only what happens next, but how much of the story actually took place in the minds of the characters.

This novel is well written and flows smoothly and quickly, sprinkling familiar Bellingham (Washington) sites throughout its nearly 200 pages. With brief but colorful descriptions, the author paints picturesque visions of Lummi Island and the parks bordering Bellingham Bay. Western Washington University is thinly disguised as North Cascades University, as are other Bellingham locales, but then this is fiction, right?

Anyone looking for something different will enjoy Sedimental Journey, not only for its excellent writing, but for the imaginative story and characters that lie in its midst. It's a great book to curl up with on a lazy afternoon. Enjoy!

About the Author

Award-winning author Richard Widerkehr, who graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Michigan, moved to Bellingham in 1978. In addition to writing, he works as a teacher in the Upward Bound Program and as a counselor and case manager at mental health clinics. Widerkehr is also the author of Disappearances, a collection of poems.

This review originally appeared in the Whatcom Independent in the spring of 2004.

To buy Sedimental Journey now, click on the Village Books link below.