I became aware of Doug Marlette when he was a graduation speaker at my son's high school, Durham Academy, in Durham, North Carolina in 2005. He was a pleasure to listen to, witty, philosophical, serious, relatable. I next heard of him in 2007 at the time of his tragic death in a car accident, on a rain slicked road, on his way to help high school students prepare to present his play in an international competition to take place in Scotland. I recently attended another graduation and while the speaker was good, she didn't measure up to the speech by Doug Marlette. However I couldn't remember his name. Thanks to the internet I was able to find him and read more about him. I went to the library and borrowed his two novels, The Bridge, and Magic Time. I read right through them and loved both of them. Each is the kind of read that you don't want to put down, but you need to take a break as the story is so full that you need time to process. They are exactly what I love in a good read, a good story line, a main character whom I become, solid history, realistic conflict on many levels, wise observations about life and human character, some mystery and a satisfying resolution. If these are the components you look for in a good novel, I highly recommend this author. Now I am on to his books of cartoons.
