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Loring Walawander has lived in Montana since 1976, when he discovered how the state touched his soul as he dreamed it would have as a young boy. He writes about characters who've been touched the same way. His extensive travels to new places helped him learn what is good about the world and humanity. He holds a degree in Forestry from the University of Tennessee and has worked as cowboy, logger, carpenter, forester and postmaster. Now retired, he no longer looks for the next mountain to climb or wild river to raft. He now writes, using the Montana landscape as his canvas. He was inspired to write this book after watching a young army veteran who served in Afghanistan sprint two hundred yards on his prosthetic running blade at his gym. The vet was inspiring because what he had sacrificed did not hold him back.In his heart Loring will always be a forester and currently spends most days maintaining the trees, shrubs, and native grasses around his Missoula property. If not writing, he can be found driving with his wife, Jacque, on the back roads of Montana.
Reviewed by Nino Lobiladze for Readers' Favorite
Chase DeMers is a seventy-two-year-old retired lawyer. He owns a ranch in Montana, a place he loves deeply. Chase mourns the death of his wife, JoAnn, who succumbed to cancer a year ago. He blames himself for not being by her side during her last moments. While his health deteriorates, Chase decides to travel to the Swiss Alps to scatter JoAnn's ashes on the Aletsch Glacier. But he cannot make such a trip alone. Chase looks for a reliable female companion. His friend, Sean, suggests that his niece, Tekla O’Neill, could go with Chase to Europe. Tekla arrives in Montana, and Chase learns that the young woman doesn't have a limb. Nate Hutchens, a cowboy working for Chase, witnesses her angry outburst. Tekla struggles with PTSD after her tour in Afghanistan, yet Nate can't deny that she touched his heart. With a challenging trip ahead, Chase and Tekla must find common ground to trust each other. What Not to Forgive by Loring Walawander is for fans of drama, literary, and realistic fiction.
Loring Walawander's What Not to Forgive is a slice of life, rough and poetic at the same time. The well-paced narrative takes us to Montana's prairies, Parisian historical sights, and the magnificent Swiss Alps. The author put his heart into writing this novel and developing the characters. Tekla reminds me of a Valkyrie, injured yet strong and ready for the battle. Walawander's prose is eloquent and descriptive. He captures the beauty of the Aletsch Glacier, which can become deadly dangerous in the blink of an eye. The novel thoroughly explores the topics of guilt and forgiveness. Chase's journey is transformative. He and Tekla try to find a rosary that JoAnn lost in Paris forty years ago. Their search is profoundly moving. I appreciate that the author speaks about the landmines maiming people worldwide. Chase and Tekla meet an Albanian man named Abdullah, who doesn't even have a proper prosthesis. This encounter inspires Chase and readers to look at this problem closely. I highly recommend this riveting and thought-provoking novel to mature readers.
