Damaged Goods

by Heather Sharfeddin

In this stirring new novel, Heather Sharfeddin reveals an unforgettable portrait of two people scarred by life and healed by each other.   Hershel Swift remembers nothing from the night of his accident, or the days leading up to it. Now, three months later, he’s back at work at his auction house, but the unsympathetic faces of his employees and customers tell the story of a man who has engendered much ill-will. Hershel can’t remember that man, or what he was doing on that dark road the night he crashed. But he senses sinister secrets waiting to destroy the better person he’s trying to become.Silvie Thorne is on the run when her car breaks down in Oregon. When Hershel offers a hand, she has no choice but to grab it. She itches to keep moving, to lose the sheriff who must, by now, be after her—and the lockbox in her possession. Forced to stay put, Silvie shares with Hershel something of her own shattered past. But even as they struggle to put their lives back together, Silvie and Hershel are being thrust into the sights of a desperate and vicious man.With lyrical, atmospheric prose, Heather Sharfeddin depicts ordinary people in the grip of mythic tragedy. This novel is every bit as electrifying as her acclaimed earlier works Sweetwater Burning and Windless Summer.From the Trade Paperback edition.

Genres: Fiction, Mystery

256 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 28, 2010

About the author

Heather Sharfeddin is a novelist whose work has earned starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews and Library Journal, has been honored with an Erick Hoffer award and at the New York and San Francisco Book Festivals, as well as the Pacific Northwest Book Sellers Association. Her first novel, Blackbelly, was named one of the top five novels of 2005 by the Portsmouth Harold. She has taught creative writing at Randolph-Macon College, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and Linfield College (presently). She is also a book reviewer for Colorado Review. Her fifth novel What Keeps You is due out in late 2016.

Sharfeddin holds an MFA in writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts and a PhD in Creative Writing from Bath Spa University (Bath, England).

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Reviews

[Deon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nuanced, engrossing story set in Oregon. Hershel doesn’t remember much from before his car accident but it doesn’t take long to measure people’s response to him and come to the conclusion he was not a nice guy. How would it feel to wake up from an accident and realize you were not a good person? Herschel’s employees at the auction house notice a change in their boss after the accident but they keep a wary distance. Hershel cannot remember what he might have been up to prior to the accident, but he suspects it was unsavory. If we cannot respect ourselves what have we got to hold onto? Hershel is trying to rebuild his life into something better. Silvie has troubles of her own; she is on the lam from a man who means her no good, a sheriff gone bad still invested with the power of the law. Silvie crosses paths with Herschel when her car breaks down and he gives her a hand. As they try to figure out the next step in their increasingly complicated lives they must rely on each other and face down the danger that looms ever closer. Interesting characters and an intriguing premise along with an Oregon setting make this a very readable story.

[Janell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this story about a young woman with dark secrets who finds herself stranded in Oregon and becoming the unintended houseguest of a man with not only memory problems but with dark secrets of his own. The enjoyment for the reader is in learning about those respective secrets and the prices paid by the characters for having and keeping these secrets.

Some storylines were fleshed out quite a bit, while others were left comparatively untouched. At first I considered this to be a flaw of the book, but I realized it is also a testimony to the author's ability to draw in minor characters and backstory and make you want to know as much about them as the main characters and story.

Sharfeddin is still on my favorite authors list, and I look forward to her future books.

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I would have never chosen this book based on the cover (reminds me of a N. Sparks book), I'm glad I was encouraged to read it by a friend of the author. There are no right words to describe this astounding novel. Each character is layered so deeply that your personal connection to them changes from chapter to chapter. Every character is perfectly entwined with the next that if one were to be taken out of the scenario, the story would suffer. With surprises around every corner, this book is a must read for anyone that appreciates good writing.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

For Readers in or from Oregon, this book will hit a cord. It is based in NW Oregon with real place names and locations that really exist. The story line is very good with just enough twists and turns to keep you interested and reading fast.

[Beth]

oooooh come on mailman, bring me my book!!!

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent storytelling. I hated to put it down to do other things.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was ok for a quick read, but I was disappointed with the characters and the plot development.