New Novel by Willard McKay Presents Thoughtful Tale of Growth
PHOENIXVILLE, Pa. (PRWEB) July 08, 2015 -- Author Willard McKay’s introduction to his new book, “The Weaving of Harold Jenkins” (published by Lulu), asks, “Please read ‘The Weaving of Harold Jenkins’ more slowly than if it were an action novel.” This book is set in Pennsylvania in the Summer of ’58, just before Harold plans to attend college. It deals with Harold’s coming of age, his ancestry, work, wars (death, loss and recovery), love (he and Lisa find each other), youth and more.
In the last chapter, Mckay writes, “In June, Harold had preferred Aunt Gloria’s newer Navajo blanket with a border. But the events of the Summer led him now to understand and prefer her well-used, unbordered one. Gloria (his wise aunt) realized this and gave it to him. ‘I remember the off-white walls in the dorm room … I’ll hang it on one of them.’”
A good friend of McKay’s, once a straight-A English student of his, wrote, “We continue to marvel at how the warps and wefts of our individual lives weave into a rich and varied tapestry. ... I enjoyed Harold Jenkins’ odyssey of discovery, and was privileged to be among the first readers of his tale. Harold still has far to go and much to learn, as do we all.”
McKay believes the book is a nice gift for the graduate and parents alike. He hopes that after reading it, they may better understand why a young person is not going in the direction of their “well meant expectations.”
He hopes they recall Kahlil Gibran’s words in the poem, “On Children,” featured in “The Prophet”: “Your children are not your children. /They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself. /They come through you but not from you, /And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.”
“The Weaving of Harold Jenkins”
By Willard McKay
Softcover | 6 x 9 in | 176 pages | ISBN 9781483430614
E-Book | 176 pages | ISBN 9781483430607
About the Author
Willard McKay has had a varied life. He attended Radnor High School, then Carleton College. Like Harold, he worked in a hardware store, then sold Snap-on Tools. Then he taught English. With the onset of the Vietnam War, he became a Quaker, like some of his ancestors. He studied nonviolent action and opposed the war. Moving to Upper Bucks County in Pennsylvania, he became an EMT/firefighter while buying, selling and restoring antiques. In 1985, he founded a catalogued sales program for a major Pennsylvania auction. Some catalogues prize winning After 10 years, he left. He worked as a certified appraiser and travelled. He retired in 2008 as vice president of his appraisers association. He had co-edited his high school yearbook and produced two-well received reunion yearbooks. He worked on “The Weaving of Harold Jenkins” over many years.
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