The Longest Year

The Longest Year by Stan Crader

The Longest Year is the third book in Stan Crader's trilogy of small town Colby, Missouri. It is a masterful addition to the previous two novels, The Bridge and Paperboy.

The band of boys are back and another year older. As they go forth on their adventures, they are met with new experiences. The newest, most serious situation is turning sixteen and getting a driver's license. Whilst exploring the now familiar surroundings of Colby, the reader will develop an inadvertent smile. Being dropped into the middle of sixties Americana, you can't help but be enchanted. 

There is a realistic brilliance to Stan Crader's fictional novel. Small town headaches and issues are not masked within the confines of the story. The beautiful, the quaint, the ugly, every facet of small town life is explored and adds a complicated dimension that is both touching and poignant.

Personally, I hope to see more stories in this series from the author. Though each book can stand alone on its own merits; together, they are a force to be reckoned with. Powerful and stirring, the stories will continue to remain in your heart and come to mind when you least expect it.

The proceeds from The Longest Year will go to benefit charity. I recommend all three books for readers of all age groups. 

Paperboy

Paperboy by Stan Crader

A follow-up story to The Bridge, this book takes us on a deeper journey into the major changes taking place in the town of Colby.

Quite aptly named The Band of Boys, Tommy and his friends have developed their own clique. Throughout the story, The Band of Boys are thrust into a myriad of changes taking place in Colby. There is an influx of different people coming into town, settling in, and making tongues wag. The shoe factory that everyone has known and been dependent upon has disappeared, and in it's place is a hat factory.  As if things weren't confusing enough, Melody has suddenly become front and center in Tommy's thoughts.

The book traverses throughout the sixties and addresses the fabric of social conscience. From the Vietnam War, the faux pas of teenage pregnancy, and racial tension, it is a realistic demonstration of the volatile atmosphere that gave birth to present day America. But even with so much happening, the author always keeps you within that small town of Missouri. Time is still relative in terms of human existence within the borders of Colby; Moon Pies, gossip, church, and the old codgers are still a normal occurance.

Paperboy is written in the third person, whereas The Bridge was written in a first person perspective. These stories are a testament of Stan Crader's love and attention to the period. The progression and fine-detailing awarded to each book is quite extraordinary.