from love comes literature: book review
The story behind the production of October Skies truly lives up to the standard of something from nothing, for Don Rehmel could not have known that in giving his daughter Celeste a homemade Christmas gift in 2009, he was actually gifting readers of all ages and calibers with his writing.
The beginning of the economic downturn led to families tightening the financial belt, including Don’s, and despite not being able to have or do everything she wanted, Rehmel’s teenage daughter handled her family situation with utmost grace and strength; traits that are not only impressive for he age, but are a mirror image to those of the protagonist Celeste, (named lovingly after his daughter), in October Skies. Intended as a personal gift to inspire and make a memory to last a lifetime, the original goal of this special Christmas present was “to be a simple short story, but it just kept going and growing with the end result being the 60,000 word October Skies”.
Written with touching realism, Rehmel breathes life into his characters by using prolific detail and raw human emotion that readers can sympathize with and understand. When Celeste, a teenager from Briartown, Kentucky witnesses a horrific car accident followed by two men ruthlessly searching the car, yet walking away empty-handed and leaving the driver for dead, we are transcended to the scene of the crime experiencing her fear first hand. Each consequential event takes Celeste on the adventure of her life and we are along for the ride whether we want to be or not: we are there as Celeste fights for her life, reasons with the angst and normalcy of being a teenager, and celebrate her victories. The ride for readers is guaranteed to be thrilling throughout the entirety of this novel.
As riveting as it is realistic, October Skies reflects the mystery and morals of sleuth classics such as the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys series, and the ride for readers is guaranteed to be thrilling throughout the entirety of this novel. A keepsake for readers everywhere, October Skies above all else reads as a love story to Rehmel’s daughter and reminds us to stay true to our intuition and heart.