WINTER’S BLOOM
A War Hero
A Wealthy Widow
A Cottage on the Lake
Which Way Will the Winds Blow?
By John Wemlinger
Mission Point Press
314 Pages
With the
summer reading season beginning, I thought I needed to get back to doing book
reviews. Fiction has never been my forte;
Until now. I’ve spent most my life
reading history, motivational and current affairs works, and generally avoided
“just for fun” books. Not sure why, maybe
I figured my time was valuable and I should invest it in learning something and
generally shunned fiction. It could also
be, the last real work of fiction I voraciously consumed was Peter Benchley’s JAWS on the beach many summers ago and
I’ve been “afraid to go back into the water,” so to speak!
Winter’s Bloom author, John Wemlinger is
a good friend and fellow veteran. I’ve
worked with him on several military events and issues here in our hometown of
Battle Creek, Michigan. He served the in
U. S. Army as a Vietnam-era helicopter pilot.
Upon retiring he went into education where he built and led the highly
regarded and decorated Michigan Youth Challenge Academy, a resident military
style alternative high school for Michigan’s troubled youth. He turned many wayward
kids around and made them into great citizens.
Now in full retirement “up North”
in Onekama, Michigan he’s pursuing his writing passions. Needless to say, his education passion comes
through in Winter’s Bloom.
Winter’s Bloom is a brilliant and
engaging story with a cast of intriguing characters. Most
of the characters have personality traits which readers can easily relate
to. One of the exciting parts for me was that it’s
all set in very familiar places in and around Michigan, places I’ve been to and
can easily visualize. The book ends in a
place I’m intimately familiar with close to our hometown of Battle Creek, but I
won’t spoil it for the reader.
The main characters, Rock Graham
and Claire Van Zandt come from two different worlds, backgrounds, and
lifestyles. Graham is a career auto
worker from Flint, forced into retirement in the 2008 recession. He worked the line since he left Vietnam and
still carries the mental wounds of PTSD from an ambush where he lost one of his
best friends and platoon mates and was seriously wounded himself. It’s a private Hell he’s dealt with for many
years. Building cars and working hard was
his refuge. He became a skilled engineer
and shop leader and accumulated a small fortune by living modestly and saving
his money through GM’s “Golden Years.” Newly
retired, he was offered a chance to spend the winter in Florida with his best
friends. He opted instead to rent a
cottage on Lake Michigan for the off-season winter months to be alone and
contemplate life.
Claire Van Zandt is the wealthy
widow and socialite of billionaire Holland businessman and engineer, Alan Van
Zandt who amassed a fortune building bridges and structures throughout Michigan
and the Midwest. Claire is the heir to
his company and fortune. She owned a
palatial home on Lake Macatawa and in Florida as well as a summer cottage
adjacent to the one Rock was renting for the winter near Little Point Sable. With her wealth, she had a social conscience
and gave millions to many food banks and other worthy charities in West
Michigan. She was always troubled that
Alan’s work separated him from family life over the years and was struggling
with his absence. There was more to life
than money she reasoned.
Without spilling the story, Rock
and Claire meet up when she “escapes” to the summer cottage late in the fall as
her daughter’s marriage plans are falling apart and stays longer than she
expected. Rock and Claire met through
their dogs and ended up getting to know each other through long walks on the
beach with the dogs. Claire knew little
of Rock’s background, which he seldom spoke of, especially Vietnam. Rock didn’t
realize or imagine her circle of wealth and fortune. They became close friends regardless. A story and romance develops. Intertwined through all of it are their
families. Claire’s two daughters were
like night and day, one just didn’t like Rock which they had to work
through. Rock’s nephew comes into the
picture and becomes part of an extended family.
Through all their trials and
tribulations, many life events happen that seals their destiny. Hope and redemption is constant in this
story. Claire, in her determination to
help others, ignites a passion in her family and circle of associates. Unbeknownst to her, they create something
spectacular. Her daughters come together
to establish something to preserve their family’s legacy in West Michigan. You’ll have to read it to find out what it is,
it’s a secret right up the end, even to Claire.
As the book progresses, it’s hard put down. I was touched and inspired by how it all develops
and ends and hopefully you will be too. The story of seemingly unrelated events,
people and problems comes full circle with a beautiful ending. A touching story of Faith, Hope and Love.
A true “Michigan book” it was
published by Mission Point Press in Traverse City. The book is available on the author’s
website, www.JohnWemlinger.com, it
is also in many bookstores throughout Michigan and on Amazon. If you’re looking for a great summer read
full of places and events in Michigan, this is the book you need on your
list. I recommend it without hesitation.
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