The Valley of Tranquility - by Jack L Parker (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Mike Stratton pulled over and stopped the car at the top of the rise. The valley below was still as beautiful as it was the first time he and his two friends, Scot and Reddy, saw so many years ago. It was the summer after they graduated from high school. They had taken a trip up California's Highway 49, California's famous Mother Lode Highway. Their trip ended in this beautiful valley. They camped, fished and even met several of the friendly people living in the small village. Jeff knew someday he would come back there to live. Now he had returned, hopefully to fulfill his dream.

Review Quotes

The Valley of Tranquility by Jack L. Parker follows the main character Mike Stratton as he remembers his times going on grand adventures with his best friends Reddy and Scott many years before. Mike recalls many nights that he would never forget, starting with the time he and his friends camped in this beautiful valley and the night he and his friends camped on a dead end on Calaveras River where he and his friends experienced a flash flood and luckily managed to escape with their lives. After he finishes taking a trip down memory lane, he decides that he wants to visit the town where all of his best memories had happened and look into relocating there.

The Valley of Tranquility is a stirring Christian fiction story following a man who is reminiscing about his life through a sentimental romp down memory lane while also following him through his new life as he makes new friends and discovers new things about himself and those around him.

The book starts slow, methodically developing and delivering heartfelt moments and touching scenes that are emotionally resonant and immanently authentic. The pace of the book is perfect for readers looking for a light read and suits the tone of the story as it gives us plenty of time to understand who Mike is as a person. I found the book to be inviting and sincere overall. The book explores true friendship and the ability to reconnect with oneself via the past. This is a character driven story, really an exploration of character, but I enjoyed all the well-rounded characters in this story as I found them relatable and endearing.

The Valley of Tranquility is an uplifting book that I would recommend to readers who enjoy slow but thoughtful books with an eloquent view on the simple things in life such as friendship and getting proper footing on one's own life.

Being an author myself, when I read a book, I am quite critical. If it does not catch my interest fairly quickly, I will just put it aside.

When I began to read The Valley of Tranquility, it did not take me long to realize it was something very special. It held my interest from the very beginning to the end. The Valley of Tranquility is a real page turner. When I had finished the last page, I happily said to myself, "Now that was an absolutely wonderful book."