An Overview for Parents, Educators and Students

Summary

Lively, edifying and beautifully written, the novels Shadow Fields and Snooker Glen are modern iterations of classic literature, and as such, these books make excellent reading assignments.

Shadow Fields
Now in its second edition, Shadow Fields is associated with Dostoyevsky's The Brothers Karamazov on Amazon.com. Variously a family drama, a dark satire and a character study, this allegorical tale explores themes of success, redemption and rebirth against a backdrop of football and Wall Street. Jack Maguire's ideas of the American Dream conflict with those of his wife Jennifer and teenage daughter Anne, sending the trio to the brink of destruction. Having been ripped away from his childhood and Greco-Roman roots, Jack also struggles to reclaim his sense of identity; along the way, a Christ-like friend Christiano is contrasted with an enigmatic "false Todd." This superlative novel exposes the limitations of science and materialism and suggests the need for a more ordinate value system.

Parents should note there is some occasional spice, but reader feedback from high school students has been overwhelmingly positive. Discussion questions are available on Whipple's Amazon.com blog.

Snooker Glen
Already compared with Dostoyevsky's polemical novel Demons, Whipple's second novel highlights and explores various aspects of the human condition through a tale of faith and justice. Richly infused with drama, humor and immigration-related social commentary, the story is told from the point of view of American mine workers, yet also acknowledges the plight of imported scabs who seek to replace them. At once heartfelt and rebellious, this Judeo-Christian novel is unlike anything else on the American scene, and best of all, its existentialist and impressionist strivings, combined with a wide range of voicing and tone, will inspire even the most reluctant reader. Discussion questions are available on Whipple's Amazon.com blog.