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Hearts Left Behind
After the death of his son, Tucker Gaines separates from his wife and daughter and returns to his childhood home to stay with his grandparents. In the comforting womb of this small Midwestern town, Tucker can grieve. In the safe haven of memory, he hopes to heal. But what Tucker comes to realize is that even in our safest places, we are not immune from the wicked of the world. Soon after arriving in Willow Grove, Tucker finds himself engaged in a mystery that everyone thought solved long ago - the murder of his childhood love, Katie Cooper.
180 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 15, 2013
5 people are currently reading
60 people want to read
About the author
Derek Rempfer
4 books16 followersDerek Rempfer's debut novel - Where The Broken Lie - was previously self-published under the title Hearts Left Behind where it was quickly discovered and picked-up by Immortal Ink Publishing. Notable highlights for the self-published version of the novel include:
***Top 5 free download in Literary Fiction category on Amazon
***Named to The Short List for Finalists for a Faulkner-Wisdom award
***5 star review from Indie Reader (http://indiereader.com/2013/12/hearts...)
***Book of the Month award winner from the Association of Independent Authors
FROM READERS AND REVIEWERS:
"[WHERE THE BROKEN LIE] is heartbreaking and hypnotic. Author Derek Rempfer conveys the parent-child relationship with haunting power, highlighting with deep sensitivity and extraordinary insight, just how children create their parents and even become them ..." - Indie Reader
"This story will definitely live on in readers' hearts long after they finish reading." - The Portland Review
"I have rarely found a book as beautifully written as this one. The prose is closer to poetry than some that claim to be poetry. And the poetry is sheer music. I found myself highlighting sections so I could re-read them later. And then I did re-read them with the same joy as the first time. If that had been all, if the story hadn't been so well told, if I hadn't become friend with Tucker & his neighbors & his sleepy little town, it would have been enough. But it was. And I did. And I feel richer because of it." - Amazon Review
"This book is a must read for anyone who has lost a loved one. Especially a child. Tucker's journey to find peace is inspiring." - Amazon Review
"I just finished this book this morning in tears. It is heart-breakingly beautiful. This is the kind of story that just doesn't come from the imagination but from experience in one form or another. It just has to be... I loved how the author drew me into his world and walked me along with memories bring me to a place I could only sit and contemplate...If this is what we can come to expect from this author, i tip my hat and look forward to more from him." - Amazon Review
"A great book about Motherhood and loss and death. Great insight into grief of a Mother when her child dies. Very timely in my life as have been following a woman online whose daughter just died." - Amazon Review
"An excellent, at times heart-wrenching, read that will keep the pages flying by, only to be almost disturbingly surprised at the shocking resolution to a 20-year-old mystery." - Amazon Review
Where The Broken Lie will be available in November 2014!
Be notified when Where The Broken Lie becomes available: http://bit.ly/1qkRTYa
Website: http://derekrempfer.wordpress.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DerekRempfer
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/derek.rempfe...
***Top 5 free download in Literary Fiction category on Amazon
***Named to The Short List for Finalists for a Faulkner-Wisdom award
***5 star review from Indie Reader (http://indiereader.com/2013/12/hearts...)
***Book of the Month award winner from the Association of Independent Authors
FROM READERS AND REVIEWERS:
"[WHERE THE BROKEN LIE] is heartbreaking and hypnotic. Author Derek Rempfer conveys the parent-child relationship with haunting power, highlighting with deep sensitivity and extraordinary insight, just how children create their parents and even become them ..." - Indie Reader
"This story will definitely live on in readers' hearts long after they finish reading." - The Portland Review
"I have rarely found a book as beautifully written as this one. The prose is closer to poetry than some that claim to be poetry. And the poetry is sheer music. I found myself highlighting sections so I could re-read them later. And then I did re-read them with the same joy as the first time. If that had been all, if the story hadn't been so well told, if I hadn't become friend with Tucker & his neighbors & his sleepy little town, it would have been enough. But it was. And I did. And I feel richer because of it." - Amazon Review
"This book is a must read for anyone who has lost a loved one. Especially a child. Tucker's journey to find peace is inspiring." - Amazon Review
"I just finished this book this morning in tears. It is heart-breakingly beautiful. This is the kind of story that just doesn't come from the imagination but from experience in one form or another. It just has to be... I loved how the author drew me into his world and walked me along with memories bring me to a place I could only sit and contemplate...If this is what we can come to expect from this author, i tip my hat and look forward to more from him." - Amazon Review
"A great book about Motherhood and loss and death. Great insight into grief of a Mother when her child dies. Very timely in my life as have been following a woman online whose daughter just died." - Amazon Review
"An excellent, at times heart-wrenching, read that will keep the pages flying by, only to be almost disturbingly surprised at the shocking resolution to a 20-year-old mystery." - Amazon Review
Where The Broken Lie will be available in November 2014!
Be notified when Where The Broken Lie becomes available: http://bit.ly/1qkRTYa
Website: http://derekrempfer.wordpress.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DerekRempfer
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/derek.rempfe...
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 17, 2013
This story will make you smile, make you cry and give you an understanding of the enduring power of love. Derek paints a vivid picture of small town life, friendships and provides a mystery that will have you hungering for each next page; hard to put down.
July 16, 2013
A beautiful read. Nostalgic and intriguing. It has a bit of everything - love, loss, mystery and resolution.
September 20, 2013
This is a thought provoking book about death, life and coming to terms with both. Almost immediately the reader learns that Tucker and Tammy have lost a child, Ethan, though the cause of his death isn’t revealed until later in the book. Tucker has a need to return to his childhood roots, to live for a while with his grandparents, sans Tammy and their daughter Tory. There’s obviously a lot of pain surrounding the death of Ethan, and Tucker needs separation to work through some of it.
The parallel story is the death of Tucker’s friend, Katie Cooper, years earlier when he and she were almost teenagers. As he reviews the circumstances of her death, as an adult, he sees there are a lot of holes in the story of her abduction and murder. He comes to realize the person convicted of killing her, didn’t do it. Thus, Tucker plays detective, and ultimately arrives at who really killed Katie. While he can’t right the wrongs done, he can confront the murderer.
The death of Ethan, and its circumstances were akin to those of my own younger sister, Judy, 65 years ago. In “Hearts Left Behind,” the pain of loss Tucker and Tammy and Tory go through is palatable. It’s deep and agonizing. They question God, themselves and each other. And the description of their pain has given me insight into the pain my parents must have felt, but I never saw or heard expressed, over the loss of Judy. But now, I realize it had to be there, even though unseen.
“Hearts Left Behind” isn’t a tearjerker. It is a thoughtful and thought-filled book. It reminded me of “A Child at Dawn” by Molly Fumia. Both books give readers insight into the gut-wrenching pain endured by parents, and others, at the death of a child, and at the same time finding one’s way out of the pain and living with the loss.
The parallel story is the death of Tucker’s friend, Katie Cooper, years earlier when he and she were almost teenagers. As he reviews the circumstances of her death, as an adult, he sees there are a lot of holes in the story of her abduction and murder. He comes to realize the person convicted of killing her, didn’t do it. Thus, Tucker plays detective, and ultimately arrives at who really killed Katie. While he can’t right the wrongs done, he can confront the murderer.
The death of Ethan, and its circumstances were akin to those of my own younger sister, Judy, 65 years ago. In “Hearts Left Behind,” the pain of loss Tucker and Tammy and Tory go through is palatable. It’s deep and agonizing. They question God, themselves and each other. And the description of their pain has given me insight into the pain my parents must have felt, but I never saw or heard expressed, over the loss of Judy. But now, I realize it had to be there, even though unseen.
“Hearts Left Behind” isn’t a tearjerker. It is a thoughtful and thought-filled book. It reminded me of “A Child at Dawn” by Molly Fumia. Both books give readers insight into the gut-wrenching pain endured by parents, and others, at the death of a child, and at the same time finding one’s way out of the pain and living with the loss.
December 23, 2015
Another deleted down to terrible presentation making it pretty much unreadable. I like to try out new authors and give them a chance and yes, I've found some real gems but really, some need to get some proper assistance before putting something out for public consumption.
Harsh, yes, but the formatting was all over the place for starters with the fonts not spaced out properly on whatever device I tried it on-something that should've been obvious.
He wrote this odd passage-"Still and forever the sorrow sustains because he is not with you".....not even proper English, then he put apostrophes in the wrong place almost every time he used one, "a tabby cat slinked over and curled around itself around my leg"....oh my !! Sooths was used and not soothes and its was used and not it's and I'd seen enough at only 8%. Pretty awful.
Another great idea trashed by poor execution. Such a pity.
Harsh, yes, but the formatting was all over the place for starters with the fonts not spaced out properly on whatever device I tried it on-something that should've been obvious.
He wrote this odd passage-"Still and forever the sorrow sustains because he is not with you".....not even proper English, then he put apostrophes in the wrong place almost every time he used one, "a tabby cat slinked over and curled around itself around my leg"....oh my !! Sooths was used and not soothes and its was used and not it's and I'd seen enough at only 8%. Pretty awful.
Another great idea trashed by poor execution. Such a pity.
August 31, 2013
I really wanted to enjoy this book but just couldn't. From the beginning, I was confused and couldn't figure out what it was about. I gave up about half-What through.
October 1, 2013
An okay read, but not great. Good enough to not put down but not to recommend.
November 17, 2014
Beautiful writing! A wonderful story that draws you in. Sadness, happiness, and a mystery all wrapped in one heart wrenching tale of loss and leaving a legacy.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews