Publisher's Synopsis
When: During the 1930's, the American Great Depression. Where: The northwest corner of Flathead Lake (Somers, Lakeside, Kalispell). Who: The Sanders family, friends, neighbors. What: During troubled times, like today, people struggle not only financially but also personally. This story is mainly focused on the central character Sam Sanders who is growing up. However, growing up doesn't end at some magical age. We grow every day, as do Sam, his sister, mother, father, and two close friends, along with the community where they live. It's a journey. Choices are critical, but each choice has consequences. Why: Because sometimes we make magnificent choices but other times our choices are flawed. Life is an ambiguous mystery. How: You'll have to read the book to unravel the mysteries! Explanation of Title Towers of Somers: While the landmark of Somers is a water tower, also towering are the characters of this novel. They confront poverty with little to no complaint. Their work ethic is strong. They sacrifice time and energy for family and friends. They quarrel and fight, yet forgive. They fall in and out of love. They experience tragic events but console one another. They embrace the wild, its threats and its beauty. Explanation of Subtitle Flawed Majesty: Here is a quote from Chapter 35: "Like the stag, there was a stateliness, grace, and fearlessness in their stature and talk. True, they were neither formally educated nor rich nor culturally sophisticated. They were like the buck - flawed yet graced with primitive majesty." Like us, these characters are not perfect; they make mistakes yet maintain a sense of dignity and decency. Vernacular Dialog: I grew up hearing people talk like this. It is still common, especially in informal conversations. Here is a snippet of dialog from Chapter 1. "What if they start sprayin' when I turn on the light and make a racket? And what the heck are you gonna be doin'?" "I've been down there lotsa times. Never heard 'em move. As for the door, all ya gotta do is push up on it." Topics: Montana story but relevant to all readers and to this century; work ethic; encounters with wildlife; living "off the land"; grief; courage in the face of overwhelming odds; fishing; hunting; gardening and farming; sharing with family and friends; young love and old love; building and maintaining friendships; loneliness; alcohol; strong male and female characters; value of education; home is where the heart is; infidelity; sacrifice; religious beliefs and morality; sounds, smells, textures of a rugged and beautiful setting. Author's Statement: I was fortunate to grow up with two sets of grandparents and parents who endured and grew up during the Great Depression. I heard lots of stories, and I remember them. Those stories helped me to create a fictional family with touches of truth (truth being what I heard, not what I can confirm as being factual). Here's one example: I remember helping my mom doing laundry on the front porch of our Somers house (this would be in 1948). There was a wringer washer that almost crushed my arm as I fed clothes into the wringer. In this book, I wanted "reality" of that time. There were no wringer washers then. My mom explained washboards, lye soap, and tubs of water used in her childhood. One chapter in this book deals with that. The story is fiction, made up, but it touches what is real. I hope you will read it and enjoy it.
