Heft

by Liz Moore

This is the story of two men, one young and one old, who carry the weight of the world on their shoulders.

The young man is 17-year-old Kel Keller. He carries the weight of his dreams (professional baseball career) and his reality (an alcoholic mother and a father who abandoned them). The old man is 58-year-old Arthur Opp. He carries the weight of an unhappy childhood and an academic stumble on his 550 pound body. Everyone can see the weight Arthur carries; Kel goes out of his way to hide the heft on his mind.

The two men are linked by Kel’s mother, Charlene. She was once a student of Arthur’s, and they have been pen pals for years. The novel examines the lives of these two men, their relationships with Charlene, and their relationships with others because of Charlene.

This is an amazing novel. It will make you cry, and it will make you smile. Arthur and Kel will win your heart, and you’ll wish that the novel did not end.

4/30/13