Walter's Purple Heart, by Catherine Ryan Hyde Wednesday April 1st 2015
"Walter's Purple Heart" by Catherine Ryan Hyde is a masterful work. It is written from a voice showing us four major character's perspectives.
"Walter's Purple Heart" reeks of the movie "The Sixth Sense" once you get into the first chapter of the book. I was immediately transported with her characters along this journey.
Having lost my brother last December 2014, I struggled with finishing "Becoming Chloe" while "Walter's Purple Heart" was more cathartic.
Catherine Ryan Hyde is spooky how she can get into the heads of some many different characters. Her style here is more succinct and crisp to the point of disbelief. I mean disbelief - as I wonder how she can so succinctly keep the plot moving with so little words, and maintain the character's voices in the dialogue. More so, how can Catherine so realistically become the male and female characters of various ages, in different eras.
This could make a majestic film as the location of scenes are made crystal clear, as is the dialogue by her writing. It could also be a disappointment as the book is so perfect in its structure and narrative. To recapture all of the dialogue alone would make it a long film. I know that film and books are different mediums but the dialogue is so beautiful it would be a shame to cut it down for making it a "suitably-timed" film for audience's attention spans.
It also reminded me slightly of "Skallagrigg" by William Horwood with the main character trapped in an unforgiving body. While in "Walter's Purple Heart" our main character is trapped too, but in a very eerie sense. In fact another character gets trapped to become the main conduit in this healing book of love, mateship and forgiveness. We learn of the narrative device upfront whereas you learn who is narrating in the final chapter of "Skallagrigg." .
There are some magnificent quotes in "Walter's Purple Heart" but to repeat them here would spoil their time of appearance. These quotes about dignity, friendship, love and forgiveness may in time become sayings for generations to come. Maybe they are part of the American vernacular that I have not heard before. Even so they are freshly written to surprise the reader with a new perspective.
I could easily have read this book in one sitting but I love to allow Catherine Ryan Hyde's characters and story to live with me for days or weeks to savour the journey. I recommend reading this book in stages to allow you to be transported along the time periods and to give you time to ponder what has happened and what may happen.
I was so pleased as some of the character's conclusions could have been patronising and neat. They were not so, and were honest and challenging. I shed a tear or two whilst reading this book as I also had shivers of recognition.
Also I hope that this book assists you in any personal reconciliations. I found inner peace and reconciliation with the conclusion. For a writer to create these sensations then they are a master. That is Catherine Ryan Hyde - a supreme writer.
"Walter's Purple Heart" is a haunting book full of hope and reconciliation. I HOPE that you read it and be transported on this journey of memory, love, forgiveness and mateship.
