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Season of Water and Ice
SEASON OF WATER AND ICE is the unforgettable story of two young people confronting life during a tumultuous few months of 1957. In quiet but searing prose it explores the enduring issues of love and family, the destructive forces to which these ideals are exposed, and the healing powers which can restore them.
Danny DeWitt, aged fourteen, lives with his father in a rural area of northern Michigan following the family's abrupt move from the city and the unexplained departure of his mother. Bookish and friendless--and wanting to "stand at the side of things for a while"--Danny becomes acquainted with Amber Dwyer, a pregnant teenager abandoned by her boyfriend and rejected by her family and community. Both outsiders--one by choice, the other because of social stigma--Danny and Amber form an unusual, openhearted alliance which helps each to deal with their separate challenge. Amber must build a life for herself in the face of intolerance, and Danny must come to terms with his mother's rejection and his father's growing isolation. The friendship is tested when Amber's abusive boyfriend returns and Danny's mother draws further away, leading to a crisis which threatens Amber and her unborn child, as well as Danny's conception of love and manhood.
Reflecting the political and social climate of the 1950s, Season of Water and Ice is underscored by themes of independence and obligation, love and sexuality, courage and surrender. This realistic work will appeal to both adult and young adult readers.
Danny DeWitt, aged fourteen, lives with his father in a rural area of northern Michigan following the family's abrupt move from the city and the unexplained departure of his mother. Bookish and friendless--and wanting to "stand at the side of things for a while"--Danny becomes acquainted with Amber Dwyer, a pregnant teenager abandoned by her boyfriend and rejected by her family and community. Both outsiders--one by choice, the other because of social stigma--Danny and Amber form an unusual, openhearted alliance which helps each to deal with their separate challenge. Amber must build a life for herself in the face of intolerance, and Danny must come to terms with his mother's rejection and his father's growing isolation. The friendship is tested when Amber's abusive boyfriend returns and Danny's mother draws further away, leading to a crisis which threatens Amber and her unborn child, as well as Danny's conception of love and manhood.
Reflecting the political and social climate of the 1950s, Season of Water and Ice is underscored by themes of independence and obligation, love and sexuality, courage and surrender. This realistic work will appeal to both adult and young adult readers.
- GenresFiction
251 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
March 2, 2012
I had never heard of Donald Lystra before, until I saw his name and book listed among the Michigan Notable Books for 2010. This book will simply blow you away! It certainlly did that to my wife and me. Set in a fictional small town in the woods of northern Michigan, SEASON OF WATER AND ICE is destined to become a classic coming of age story, with its affecting principal characters of Danny (14) and Amber (18), two "outsiders". It is 1957 - Sputnik and the Cold War. Danny's parents are separated, since his father quit his job (and burned his bridges) at a Grand Rapids GM plant and moved north to try his hand at sales (power tools). His mother has gone back to her hometown of Chicago while his father pursues what she sees as his irresponsible "experiment." As a boy who finds comfort in mathematics and science, and finds God in truth and logic, Danny is a loner, until he meets Amber, an older girl who has aspirations to be an artist, but is unwed and pregnant, a local outcast, living in a loveless situation. In their loneliness and unhappiness, the two gravitate towards each other, and things begin to happen - unexpected, shocking and sometimes tragic things.
This is a love story of a most unusual kind, with Danny soon learning, as he struggles with his own emerging sexuality, that love comes in many forms. There is a kind of innocence in Danny that has not been so effectively portrayed since Salinger invented Holden Caulfield. Lystra's style is spare and direct and yet profoundly evocative in a way seldom realized by today's writers. Early Hemingway - as in the Nick Adams stories - comes easily to mind. There is a firm sense of place and time felt, although Lystra touches on these factors only in the lightest ways, without any real invasive specifics. For example, songs heard on the radio -
"'Listen to this,' Amber said. She started to move her head to the song, which was a Buddy Holly song about how love is like being on a roller coaster. 'It's true,' she said. 'Love is dangerous.'"
Lystra never gives the title of the Holly song, but anyone who grew up in those times immediately recognizes "Everyday." Or in another similar example -
"The radio was tuned to a station in Cadillac, and a song was playing about the moon and pizza pie and how that feels like a certain type of love ..."
Once again, people of a certain age will at once recognize the Dean Martin hit, "That's Amore." And the towns mentioned throughout the narrative will also strike chords, particularly among Michigan natives: Traverse City, Kalkaska, Cadillac, Reed City, Cedar Springs, etc. Lystra is obviously intimately acquainted with the route of old US-131.
All of these details, along with perfect pacing and a few well-fleshed out secondary characters, add up to a story that seems real in every way and will resonate long after the final page has been turned. Lystra's first novel is, in every way, an absolutely stunning debut.
This is a love story of a most unusual kind, with Danny soon learning, as he struggles with his own emerging sexuality, that love comes in many forms. There is a kind of innocence in Danny that has not been so effectively portrayed since Salinger invented Holden Caulfield. Lystra's style is spare and direct and yet profoundly evocative in a way seldom realized by today's writers. Early Hemingway - as in the Nick Adams stories - comes easily to mind. There is a firm sense of place and time felt, although Lystra touches on these factors only in the lightest ways, without any real invasive specifics. For example, songs heard on the radio -
"'Listen to this,' Amber said. She started to move her head to the song, which was a Buddy Holly song about how love is like being on a roller coaster. 'It's true,' she said. 'Love is dangerous.'"
Lystra never gives the title of the Holly song, but anyone who grew up in those times immediately recognizes "Everyday." Or in another similar example -
"The radio was tuned to a station in Cadillac, and a song was playing about the moon and pizza pie and how that feels like a certain type of love ..."
Once again, people of a certain age will at once recognize the Dean Martin hit, "That's Amore." And the towns mentioned throughout the narrative will also strike chords, particularly among Michigan natives: Traverse City, Kalkaska, Cadillac, Reed City, Cedar Springs, etc. Lystra is obviously intimately acquainted with the route of old US-131.
All of these details, along with perfect pacing and a few well-fleshed out secondary characters, add up to a story that seems real in every way and will resonate long after the final page has been turned. Lystra's first novel is, in every way, an absolutely stunning debut.
October 28, 2016
Danny is an adolescent with a sweet, introverted disposition, who seems isolated from the world around him. He's a watcher, which most people take for some kind of wisdom, but I found him oddly disconnected and aloof. Maybe that was the point. His occasional bursts of emotion or aggression seemed uncharacteristic.
Still, he's the kind of boy you ignore in high school and then, ten or twenty years later wonder how you overlooked such a nice guy.
As a Michigander I enjoyed the local setting and geographical references.
Still, he's the kind of boy you ignore in high school and then, ten or twenty years later wonder how you overlooked such a nice guy.
As a Michigander I enjoyed the local setting and geographical references.
October 3, 2011
In his debut novel, “Season of Water and Ice”, Donald Lystra delves deep into the minds and motivations of his characters, carving out an interesting and meaningful story. Danny DeWitt is a fourteen-year-old boy recently relocated to northern rural Michigan with his father, while his mother has chosen to pursue her own dreams in Chicago. Isolated both geographically and emotionally, Danny finds friendship with seventeen-year old neighbor, Amber, a pregnant girl, ostracized by society and discarded by both her boyfriend and her parents. The unlikely friendship evolves into something that Amber and Danny consider a special “half-love”, a profound emotional relationship unspoiled by sexual intimacy. They help each other through the turmoil of growing up in 1950’s America. Amber must face the reality of becoming an unwed teenage mother. Danny searches for the meaning of love, of fear and what it takes to become a man.
Donald Lystra graciously agreed to meet me for an interview regarding his debut novel. As we got settled in at Sweetwaters Café, chatting over our caffeinated drinks of choice (coffee and Diet Coke respectively), Sara McLaughlin crooning in the background, we quickly discovered that we had much in common. Here was a man living this young girl’s dream, not just writing legitimately moving fiction but having others extol his work, dubbing it a credit to fiction, linking him time and again to the literary great Ernest Hemmingway. We quickly fell into a master-student rapport—Lystra ever humble, ever encouraging. Some authors (though none I have personally interviewed) only wish to brag of their success, hear praise from anyone who will give it and drone on and on about their own genius. Lystra is no such author. His modesty was unwavering. His kindness was such that he wanted to talk about my writing as well as his own. Lystra made the interview fun and educational for this aspiring novelist.
The first topic I had to broach was his novel’s inclusion in the prestigious Michigan Notable Books list for 2010. Every year, the Library of Michigan’s selection committee reviews between 250 and 400 titles; they select the 20 best books “reflecting Michigan's rich cultural heritage, featuring high-quality titles with wide public appeal that are either written by a Michigan resident or about a Michigan-related topic”. Lystra was beside himself with the seemingly contradictory emotions of pride and humility both when he learned that “Season of Water and Ice” had been bestowed this rare honor, “I knew that my publisher had submitted it to the committee, but I had written off the possibility of my book being included. The reward validated what I had done. For the first couple of months the book was out, I kept thinking there might be some terrible flaw that was going to be discovered and revealed, some factual mistake, or some part of the plot that was just ridiculous. When I got that reward it cleared away a lot of that anxiety, I thought it can’t be too bad of a book if twenty-five people on the committee designated it as worthy of being included”.
Another shared passion of ours was the field of sociology; in fact, we both obtained Master’s degrees in the field, though more than 30 years apart from one another. Before writing, Lystra worked for many years on electrical power plants, employing his engineering background rather than his social science one. Writing gave Lystra the chance to reexamine his past education, using sociological thinking to gain a deeper insight into the human psyche and to develop characters so genuine that one could practically picture them in the flesh and blood, reading the story along with you over your shoulder.
Readers will especially become acquainted with Danny, the protagonist and first person narrator. The first person narration adds an immediacy and closeness in this coming of age story that would have been difficult to achieve had a third-person narrator, or even a nostalgic, aged Danny, taken over a recounting of events. Although at times Lystra admitted having difficulty maintaining the purity of his fourteen year old narrator’s voice, the finished project was polished and authentic. The reader will gain more intimacy with and respect for Danny than had he been a simple-minded kid—his precociousness makes him relatable.
Another unique characteristic of our protagonist is his inclination towards science and mathematics. In part, this grew out of Lystra’s own fascination with the subjects; he “knew what it was like to be intrigued by mathematical puzzles and scientific issues. So many (characters in novels) are inclined the other way—would-be artists, would-be painters and writers”. The author wanted to display a brainy, science-minded character, who was still thoughtful, sensitive and emotionally nuanced. He adds, “if you are inclined one way or the other academically it doesn’t mean you don’t feel things deeply”. Hopefully, all readers will identify with Danny, academic interests aside.
Our Danny was growing up in a time much like today—a time when fear of a foreign enemy was an every-day worry, where families unraveled, but love was everywhere and music was a medicine to the soul. Would you believe these times were the 1950’s? Lystra explains his choice of era, “there’s not a lot of literature that deals with that period of time, probably because a lot of people don’t think it’s a very interesting time. It’s the time of ‘Leave it to Beaver’ and ‘Father Knows Best’, but I thought it was a more interesting time than that and worthy of maybe being examined in a story. The 1950’s are not so very different from any other age, people are confronted with problems and there’s a political situation that’s always less than perfect, and there’s human relationships that come together and come apart”. As a child of the modern age, I often forgot that Danny grew up a good 40 years before I did. It was very easy to fall into the story and misplace the era. Though it is tied to the 1950’s, in a lot of ways ‘Season of Water and Ice’ is a timeless coming of age story.
One such timeless theme is Lystra’s examination of love and the many forms it takes. Love was the motivation for many a character’s actions in ‘Season of Water and Ice’, regardless of whether it was love for self or love for another. Concerning Danny and Amber’s special love, he admits “that’s a situation that can’t go anywhere in terms of romance, but I wanted it to go some where in terms of friendship.” Love presented it in many other relationships beside Danny’s and Amber’s. Lystra and I were quick to agree that the father-son relationship weaved throughout the novel is perhaps the most realistic of all of them and in a lot of ways the most touching.
‘Season of Water and Ice’, The novel’s title itself is a metaphor for Danny’s transition from boy- to manhood. It references the scientific elements which so fascinate our protagonist. More poetically, we are reminded that growing up is about moving from a gentler state to a harsher one, that is perhaps a little harder and colder, but is also a stronger state of being. Through the simple activity of ice fishing in the novel’s closing scene, Lystra reminds us that we can cut a hole through the ice and gaze down into the water. Water makes ice, just as our experiences in childhood help to shape the adults we will one day become.
Lystra clearly has a passion for his craft and was excited to mention his new novel in the works, which he hopes will be ready for publication within the next year. For now, he is happily making appearances all across the state to read and discuss ‘Season of Water and Ice’. He is also only too pleased to meet with book clubs and engage in candid discussion with eager readers. Take this as an opportunity to get acquainted with a great book and to score the signature of a budding author who is sure to one day become even more widely known and esteemed.
Donald Lystra graciously agreed to meet me for an interview regarding his debut novel. As we got settled in at Sweetwaters Café, chatting over our caffeinated drinks of choice (coffee and Diet Coke respectively), Sara McLaughlin crooning in the background, we quickly discovered that we had much in common. Here was a man living this young girl’s dream, not just writing legitimately moving fiction but having others extol his work, dubbing it a credit to fiction, linking him time and again to the literary great Ernest Hemmingway. We quickly fell into a master-student rapport—Lystra ever humble, ever encouraging. Some authors (though none I have personally interviewed) only wish to brag of their success, hear praise from anyone who will give it and drone on and on about their own genius. Lystra is no such author. His modesty was unwavering. His kindness was such that he wanted to talk about my writing as well as his own. Lystra made the interview fun and educational for this aspiring novelist.
The first topic I had to broach was his novel’s inclusion in the prestigious Michigan Notable Books list for 2010. Every year, the Library of Michigan’s selection committee reviews between 250 and 400 titles; they select the 20 best books “reflecting Michigan's rich cultural heritage, featuring high-quality titles with wide public appeal that are either written by a Michigan resident or about a Michigan-related topic”. Lystra was beside himself with the seemingly contradictory emotions of pride and humility both when he learned that “Season of Water and Ice” had been bestowed this rare honor, “I knew that my publisher had submitted it to the committee, but I had written off the possibility of my book being included. The reward validated what I had done. For the first couple of months the book was out, I kept thinking there might be some terrible flaw that was going to be discovered and revealed, some factual mistake, or some part of the plot that was just ridiculous. When I got that reward it cleared away a lot of that anxiety, I thought it can’t be too bad of a book if twenty-five people on the committee designated it as worthy of being included”.
Another shared passion of ours was the field of sociology; in fact, we both obtained Master’s degrees in the field, though more than 30 years apart from one another. Before writing, Lystra worked for many years on electrical power plants, employing his engineering background rather than his social science one. Writing gave Lystra the chance to reexamine his past education, using sociological thinking to gain a deeper insight into the human psyche and to develop characters so genuine that one could practically picture them in the flesh and blood, reading the story along with you over your shoulder.
Readers will especially become acquainted with Danny, the protagonist and first person narrator. The first person narration adds an immediacy and closeness in this coming of age story that would have been difficult to achieve had a third-person narrator, or even a nostalgic, aged Danny, taken over a recounting of events. Although at times Lystra admitted having difficulty maintaining the purity of his fourteen year old narrator’s voice, the finished project was polished and authentic. The reader will gain more intimacy with and respect for Danny than had he been a simple-minded kid—his precociousness makes him relatable.
Another unique characteristic of our protagonist is his inclination towards science and mathematics. In part, this grew out of Lystra’s own fascination with the subjects; he “knew what it was like to be intrigued by mathematical puzzles and scientific issues. So many (characters in novels) are inclined the other way—would-be artists, would-be painters and writers”. The author wanted to display a brainy, science-minded character, who was still thoughtful, sensitive and emotionally nuanced. He adds, “if you are inclined one way or the other academically it doesn’t mean you don’t feel things deeply”. Hopefully, all readers will identify with Danny, academic interests aside.
Our Danny was growing up in a time much like today—a time when fear of a foreign enemy was an every-day worry, where families unraveled, but love was everywhere and music was a medicine to the soul. Would you believe these times were the 1950’s? Lystra explains his choice of era, “there’s not a lot of literature that deals with that period of time, probably because a lot of people don’t think it’s a very interesting time. It’s the time of ‘Leave it to Beaver’ and ‘Father Knows Best’, but I thought it was a more interesting time than that and worthy of maybe being examined in a story. The 1950’s are not so very different from any other age, people are confronted with problems and there’s a political situation that’s always less than perfect, and there’s human relationships that come together and come apart”. As a child of the modern age, I often forgot that Danny grew up a good 40 years before I did. It was very easy to fall into the story and misplace the era. Though it is tied to the 1950’s, in a lot of ways ‘Season of Water and Ice’ is a timeless coming of age story.
One such timeless theme is Lystra’s examination of love and the many forms it takes. Love was the motivation for many a character’s actions in ‘Season of Water and Ice’, regardless of whether it was love for self or love for another. Concerning Danny and Amber’s special love, he admits “that’s a situation that can’t go anywhere in terms of romance, but I wanted it to go some where in terms of friendship.” Love presented it in many other relationships beside Danny’s and Amber’s. Lystra and I were quick to agree that the father-son relationship weaved throughout the novel is perhaps the most realistic of all of them and in a lot of ways the most touching.
‘Season of Water and Ice’, The novel’s title itself is a metaphor for Danny’s transition from boy- to manhood. It references the scientific elements which so fascinate our protagonist. More poetically, we are reminded that growing up is about moving from a gentler state to a harsher one, that is perhaps a little harder and colder, but is also a stronger state of being. Through the simple activity of ice fishing in the novel’s closing scene, Lystra reminds us that we can cut a hole through the ice and gaze down into the water. Water makes ice, just as our experiences in childhood help to shape the adults we will one day become.
Lystra clearly has a passion for his craft and was excited to mention his new novel in the works, which he hopes will be ready for publication within the next year. For now, he is happily making appearances all across the state to read and discuss ‘Season of Water and Ice’. He is also only too pleased to meet with book clubs and engage in candid discussion with eager readers. Take this as an opportunity to get acquainted with a great book and to score the signature of a budding author who is sure to one day become even more widely known and esteemed.
July 31, 2018
As a fellow Michigander who grew up in small town Northern MI in the 60s and 70s, I was drawn to the author’s subject from the first few pages. The characters are well fleshed out and believable. I could quite easily imagine the setting, despite (or maybe because of) the brevity of excess description. The ending was a surprise, but did fit with the characters as developed by Lystra.
I also was happily surprised to find a remote sort of connection to the author because I believe I worked for his wife at Doughboys Bakery in A2 while going to school at U-M in the early to mid 80s.
I also was happily surprised to find a remote sort of connection to the author because I believe I worked for his wife at Doughboys Bakery in A2 while going to school at U-M in the early to mid 80s.
September 26, 2021
A Michigan author’s book with really wonderful writing and descriptions of the natural world and the characters just trying to make their way through life. Late 50’s when society tells you you have to be a certain way and you are judged by those who are no better. Sad but realistic view of life through the eyes of a young teen living in an isolated mid-Michigan town.
September 17, 2019
It was nostalgic and lovely to read a novel set in Northern Michigan.
September 19, 2024
Masterful writing. Captures the 14 year old voice perfectly. Powerful.
November 27, 2010
This book was set in Michigan during the 1950s. It stars include Danny, a young boy, his drunk father, a neighbour girl named Amber, and her ex-boyfriend Wayne.
Danny moved from Grand Rapids to a little no-name town with his father after his dad lost his job at the motor company. His mother could not hack the country life style and moved to Chicago, although they stayed married. On the first night in their new place, Danny and his father are practicing their golf swings, when the ball goes hay-wire. Danny goes to retreive the ball, where he stumbles upon a lake, and a pretty girl named Amber. Amber confesses to Danny that she is pregnant. They slowly develop a friendship between Amber, Danny and her ex-boyfriend, Wayne. Danny hangs out with them quite often, driving around in Amber's pick up truck, smoking cigarettes, drinking whisky, and bearing witness to Amber and Wayne's love making. Danny discovers that Wayne is somewhat of an asshole- an abusive, angry type of guy; whereas Danny is sensitive and scientific; qualities of which Amber enjoys about him. Amber herself wants to become an artist and move to Montreal, but being pregnant is making life a little more complicated than she had hoped. Amber's mother disapproves completely of the pregnancy, and refuses to help her out with anything in that regard. Her stepfather is abusive. Danny is there to comfort her through out everything. Wayne thinks that Danny should not be alone so often, and should have some experiences with women, so one night he invites Charlene over to keep him company. Danny isn't really into her, although he says he is, perhaps to deny himself the feelings he truly has for Amber. Amber tries to make things work with Wayne; planning on marriage so that they may have a chance of having a home environment for this soon-to-be baby. But things don't always go according to plan. After Danny visits his mother in Chicago and raelizes that she is happier there than in Michigan, and will probably not ever becoming home again, he returns to find that Amber's parents want her to get an abortion and she agrees because she feels she cannot give the baby the type of home it requires. They make an appointment at a clinci in Saginaw but half-way through the trip something changes insider her, and they decide to head back. On the return trip, the snow is insane and they missed their road. They end up down in an embankment. Danny leaves Amber in the truck to find help, and instead finds that they've taken the wrong path. He finds that they are near an old abandoned hotel, and proceeds to break in. He goes back for Amber and helps her up the steep embankment where they stay for the night. They make a fire and become sleepy. Danny wakes up in the middle of the night and decides to go for help, even though Amber is afraid that she has just lost her baby. Danny ignores her, and goes off to find the police station, where they will hopefully find Amber and get her some medical attention. Except when the police arrive to the hotel, they find Amber dead, by gunshot wound to the head.
Danny moved from Grand Rapids to a little no-name town with his father after his dad lost his job at the motor company. His mother could not hack the country life style and moved to Chicago, although they stayed married. On the first night in their new place, Danny and his father are practicing their golf swings, when the ball goes hay-wire. Danny goes to retreive the ball, where he stumbles upon a lake, and a pretty girl named Amber. Amber confesses to Danny that she is pregnant. They slowly develop a friendship between Amber, Danny and her ex-boyfriend, Wayne. Danny hangs out with them quite often, driving around in Amber's pick up truck, smoking cigarettes, drinking whisky, and bearing witness to Amber and Wayne's love making. Danny discovers that Wayne is somewhat of an asshole- an abusive, angry type of guy; whereas Danny is sensitive and scientific; qualities of which Amber enjoys about him. Amber herself wants to become an artist and move to Montreal, but being pregnant is making life a little more complicated than she had hoped. Amber's mother disapproves completely of the pregnancy, and refuses to help her out with anything in that regard. Her stepfather is abusive. Danny is there to comfort her through out everything. Wayne thinks that Danny should not be alone so often, and should have some experiences with women, so one night he invites Charlene over to keep him company. Danny isn't really into her, although he says he is, perhaps to deny himself the feelings he truly has for Amber. Amber tries to make things work with Wayne; planning on marriage so that they may have a chance of having a home environment for this soon-to-be baby. But things don't always go according to plan. After Danny visits his mother in Chicago and raelizes that she is happier there than in Michigan, and will probably not ever becoming home again, he returns to find that Amber's parents want her to get an abortion and she agrees because she feels she cannot give the baby the type of home it requires. They make an appointment at a clinci in Saginaw but half-way through the trip something changes insider her, and they decide to head back. On the return trip, the snow is insane and they missed their road. They end up down in an embankment. Danny leaves Amber in the truck to find help, and instead finds that they've taken the wrong path. He finds that they are near an old abandoned hotel, and proceeds to break in. He goes back for Amber and helps her up the steep embankment where they stay for the night. They make a fire and become sleepy. Danny wakes up in the middle of the night and decides to go for help, even though Amber is afraid that she has just lost her baby. Danny ignores her, and goes off to find the police station, where they will hopefully find Amber and get her some medical attention. Except when the police arrive to the hotel, they find Amber dead, by gunshot wound to the head.
April 17, 2010
It’s tough being a teen, no matter where you live or in what year. The year is 1957. The location, Ann Arbor, Michigan. 14-year-old Danny DeWitt has been living in Michigan got about a year. His dad is on a new business endeavor, his mom in Chicago, wanting more out of life, especially money.
Danny is a lonely boy, in a town where he really doesn’t know anybody. That is, until he stumbles upon Amber Dwyer, an older, pregnant teen. He and Amber become inseparable, even through the tough times with her on-again, off-again baby daddy.
This story takes us through teen angst in a time that most of us know nothing about. Teenage girls are pregnant every day in our lives, in 1957, not so much. I agreed to read this book, sent to me by Kelley and Hall company, because I always read about girls, never much about boys. I like to learn when I read, and if I ever end up having a little boy, the more I can learn through books, the better The Kelley and Hall company has done wonders for my reading. The books they send me are most likely ones I would never pick up at the book store, but ones I normally end up thoroughly enjoying.
There were times in this book that I was sucked in, there were other times I was left wondering, “Is anything going to happen?”. Compared to some of the other books I’ve read, this one wasn’t as dramatic, but it was much deeper. It was a nice change of pace.
The book was written well and although I have absolutely NO connection to any of the characters, I felt close to them.
I am not going to give away the ending, but it was one of those that you kept telling yourself, “Will it happen? Surely not? Well, maybe.”
I enjoyed this book and give it 4 bookmarks. I highly suggest it and it will most likely be one I pick up again in a few years because I know I missed some things.
Danny is a lonely boy, in a town where he really doesn’t know anybody. That is, until he stumbles upon Amber Dwyer, an older, pregnant teen. He and Amber become inseparable, even through the tough times with her on-again, off-again baby daddy.
This story takes us through teen angst in a time that most of us know nothing about. Teenage girls are pregnant every day in our lives, in 1957, not so much. I agreed to read this book, sent to me by Kelley and Hall company, because I always read about girls, never much about boys. I like to learn when I read, and if I ever end up having a little boy, the more I can learn through books, the better The Kelley and Hall company has done wonders for my reading. The books they send me are most likely ones I would never pick up at the book store, but ones I normally end up thoroughly enjoying.
There were times in this book that I was sucked in, there were other times I was left wondering, “Is anything going to happen?”. Compared to some of the other books I’ve read, this one wasn’t as dramatic, but it was much deeper. It was a nice change of pace.
The book was written well and although I have absolutely NO connection to any of the characters, I felt close to them.
I am not going to give away the ending, but it was one of those that you kept telling yourself, “Will it happen? Surely not? Well, maybe.”
I enjoyed this book and give it 4 bookmarks. I highly suggest it and it will most likely be one I pick up again in a few years because I know I missed some things.
August 21, 2010
Fourteen year old Danny DeWitt and his father are renting a cabin in Michigan outside of the Manistee National Forest. Danny’s father is a traveling salesman. He sells power tools. Danny’s mother did not come with Danny and his father. She choose to stay behind. The last conversation Danny had with her on the phone, she said she would join them once his father finished building their house in the city as she hated the country. Danny’s father travels a lot, thus leaving Danny by himself most of the time.
Danny ends up forming a friendship with Amber, the girl next door. Amber is pregnant. Danny quickly grows up from a young boy to a young man. Though what will Danny do when Wayne, Amber’s ex-boyfriend and the father of her child comes back into the picture. One thing is for sure…Danny will never forget the summer of 1957.
Season of Water and Ice is an instantaneous winner! I can see how this book was named a Midwest Book Winner. Mr. Lystra reminded me of authors, John Hart and Michael Baron. Both really good authors. Mr. Lystra definitely deserves to be in this ranking.
Danny was such a warm, caring soul. He was so wise beyond his fourteen years. I was sad for Amber. She made one mistake that would change her life forever. Luckily she had Danny to lean on for support. You will easily fall in love with Season of Water and Ice.
Just think…what Mr. Lystra’s next novel will be like. I am sure it will be a winner like his debut novel, Season of Water and Ice. I will be keeping an eye on Mr. Lystra.
Danny ends up forming a friendship with Amber, the girl next door. Amber is pregnant. Danny quickly grows up from a young boy to a young man. Though what will Danny do when Wayne, Amber’s ex-boyfriend and the father of her child comes back into the picture. One thing is for sure…Danny will never forget the summer of 1957.
Season of Water and Ice is an instantaneous winner! I can see how this book was named a Midwest Book Winner. Mr. Lystra reminded me of authors, John Hart and Michael Baron. Both really good authors. Mr. Lystra definitely deserves to be in this ranking.
Danny was such a warm, caring soul. He was so wise beyond his fourteen years. I was sad for Amber. She made one mistake that would change her life forever. Luckily she had Danny to lean on for support. You will easily fall in love with Season of Water and Ice.
Just think…what Mr. Lystra’s next novel will be like. I am sure it will be a winner like his debut novel, Season of Water and Ice. I will be keeping an eye on Mr. Lystra.
June 10, 2021
It is 1957 in Northern Michigan and Danny is 14. His father left his job at General Motors in Grand Rapids to be a salesman and live in the woods and his mother has gone back to her parents' home in Oak Park, IL because this pioneer life is NOT for her. Danny then meets Amber, a local girl (16) who is pregnant by Wayne. They become friends (sort of) and Danny grows very attached to her. She struggle with her now ruined dreams, abusive parents, wondering whether to abort the baby or marry Wayne and at every turn, Danny is there. Meanwhile, Danny's father and mother are completely dysfunctional and living separate lives.
This is a really gripping story. Amber is totally tragic and her suicide in the end is completely unexpected. For a 14 year old, Danny is wise beyond his years, yet very naive about girls and relationships. His ability to understand why his mother left and why his father spends time with Harriet - and why Amber tries to learn French in order to go to Montreal is impressive. I like that the parents never got back together and that Danny and his father manage to forge a closer bond with each other through the pain and confusion. I also liked that the parents didn't fall into the typical "blame each other" pattern.
This is a really gripping story. Amber is totally tragic and her suicide in the end is completely unexpected. For a 14 year old, Danny is wise beyond his years, yet very naive about girls and relationships. His ability to understand why his mother left and why his father spends time with Harriet - and why Amber tries to learn French in order to go to Montreal is impressive. I like that the parents never got back together and that Danny and his father manage to forge a closer bond with each other through the pain and confusion. I also liked that the parents didn't fall into the typical "blame each other" pattern.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 25, 2012
After all the Proust (not to mention a fabulous novel by Woolf) that I've been reading lately, I felt a little smacked upside the head by the heavy-handedness and predictability that tends to come with a contemporary first novel. The gun was an tragedy waiting to happen the moment it appeared, and Lystra even teases the reader with it on a few occasions (he pulls it out at least three times). Also, when we're in Danny's heads, many sentences started with "and then I thought..." which bothered me after a while, though it would perhaps be the way a 14-year-old would tell a story after the fact.
As far as the main character and the setting though, Lystra did a wonderful job. Danny is a very realistic and sensitive 14-year-old and his coming of age felt very real. The northern Michigan setting is gorgeous and, as a major snowstorm falls during the climax, effective. Imagining myself in Danny's place was not difficult, and his discoveries about sex and love and the way life works were authentic, if nothing new to me.
I would definitely read a second novel by Lystra.
Themes: coming of age, sex, love, relationships, teenage pregnancy, life and death, lying, Northern Michigan, 1950s, math, youth, social stereotypes, friendship
As far as the main character and the setting though, Lystra did a wonderful job. Danny is a very realistic and sensitive 14-year-old and his coming of age felt very real. The northern Michigan setting is gorgeous and, as a major snowstorm falls during the climax, effective. Imagining myself in Danny's place was not difficult, and his discoveries about sex and love and the way life works were authentic, if nothing new to me.
I would definitely read a second novel by Lystra.
Themes: coming of age, sex, love, relationships, teenage pregnancy, life and death, lying, Northern Michigan, 1950s, math, youth, social stereotypes, friendship
October 21, 2012
After reading this book, I couldn't forget it. The author really pulls you in, making you feel like your sitting right there. I loved Danny, he is a gentle, sweet boy, so curious about everything and so confused. He befriends a pregnant girl who lives next door and tries to help her but she's so confused they end up helping each other.
The end takes a twist that you don't see coming. I loved the story and highly recommend it!
Passage from the book - "You know what I think?" she said, and she spoke as if she hadn't even heard my question. "We are sort of the same. You were right about that. We're both outsiders." I wasn't exactly sure what she meant about being an outsider- even though that was sort of how I felt about myself. But it was nice to hear her say we had something in common...
The end takes a twist that you don't see coming. I loved the story and highly recommend it!
Passage from the book - "You know what I think?" she said, and she spoke as if she hadn't even heard my question. "We are sort of the same. You were right about that. We're both outsiders." I wasn't exactly sure what she meant about being an outsider- even though that was sort of how I felt about myself. But it was nice to hear her say we had something in common...
July 4, 2010
After reading this book, I couldn't forget it. The author really pulls you in, making you feel like your sitting right there. I loved Danny, he is a gentle, sweet boy, so curious about everything and so confused. He befriends a pregnant girl who lives next door and tries to help her but she's so confused they end up helping each other.
The end takes a twist that you don't see coming. I loved the story and highly recommend it!
Passage from the book - "You know what I think?" she said, and she spoke as if she hadn't even heard my question. "We are sort of the same. You were right about that. We're both outsiders." I wasn't exactly sure what she meant about being an outsider- even though that was sort of how I felt about myself. But it was nice to hear her say we had something in common...
The end takes a twist that you don't see coming. I loved the story and highly recommend it!
Passage from the book - "You know what I think?" she said, and she spoke as if she hadn't even heard my question. "We are sort of the same. You were right about that. We're both outsiders." I wasn't exactly sure what she meant about being an outsider- even though that was sort of how I felt about myself. But it was nice to hear her say we had something in common...
September 17, 2010
3 1/2-4 stars. Fourteen year old Danny has a lot to grapple with. It's 1957 and he has just moved to rural Michigan so that his father can "experiement" with a new job as a salesman. His mother, deciding this new life isn't for her, leaves to pursue her own interests in Chicago. Then Danny befriends 17 year old Amber, who lives next door to him. Danny struggles to understand the different relationships in his life and the context of love within them. Things become more unstable as he gets closer to Amber and to her violent boyfriend, Wayne. I felt this book was a bit slow, but very heartfelt.
June 6, 2010
Michigan author, Northern Michigan setting. It took me a bit to get into this book, but it's elegant writing, from the point of view of a young male teenager living with his unsuccessful salesman Dad in a small home in the north woods drew me in. His only true friend is Amber, a pregnant teenager, a few years older who lives nearby. The time frame is the 50's, and being a pregnant teenager from a poor family does not bode well for her. How it all ends up is probably predicable, but I didn't predict it.
January 3, 2014
This was a really poignant coming-of-age novel that is almost haunting. I can vividly recall scenes still even though I read it several years ago. It's too bad the title is so blase. I can always remember the story, but I can never remember the title when I want to recommend it to folks. If you're familiar with Kurt Vonnegut's story graphs, this story falls into the "which way is up" category, meaning that just like in real life, it's hard to know what is "good" or "bad" in the long-term picture; there are ups and down as you go along.
December 5, 2010
This story takes place in rural Michigan in the 1950s. I liked the setting and the voice of the narrator, a high-school boy named Danny. He meets and befriends Amber, a neighbor girl who is pregnant.
There were a lot of great quotes in this book. I read it very slowly and didn't write anything down, but a lot of Danny's thoughts really made me think. Mixed feelings about the ending...
There were a lot of great quotes in this book. I read it very slowly and didn't write anything down, but a lot of Danny's thoughts really made me think. Mixed feelings about the ending...
Currently Reading
April 4, 2010I can't rate this one objectively - it's my Dad's!
But let me say, those who can be objective are giving the novel great praise: it's been named a Michigan Notable Book of the year, and is a finalist in the Midwest Book Awards.
But let me say, those who can be objective are giving the novel great praise: it's been named a Michigan Notable Book of the year, and is a finalist in the Midwest Book Awards.
August 11, 2011
I liked this book. We are reading it for my book club or I probably would not have picked it up but overall I enjoyed it. It is a coming of age story which our club seems to read a lot of but I found the writing pretty good and an interesting story.
April 2, 2016
An absolutely excellent read! Time invested in reading this novel will not be wasted! I don't want to give too much away about the plot but if you are fond of coming-of-age stories, this book is for you!
August 25, 2010
Unique and a real Michigan story.
July 29, 2010
read this review and others at http://readingforsanity.blogspot.com/...
January 3, 2016
Fiction
November 24, 2010
It was kind of a blah story even though it was an easy read. Just not much to the story.
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