Book Review: The Right Kind of Fool by Sarah Loudin Thomas

 

The Right Kind of Fool.  Sarah Loudin Thomas.  Bethany House (2020). 384 pages. Genre: Historical Fiction. 

First Line: "Beverly, West Virginia.  July 1934. The day's heat lay close to Loyal like a quilt he couldn't push back."

Summary (Goodreads): Thirteen-year-old Loyal Raines is supposed to stay close to home on a hot summer day in 1934. When he slips away for a quick swim in the river and finds a dead body, he wishes he'd obeyed his mother. The ripples caused by his discovery will impact the town of Beverly, West Virginia, in ways no one could have imagined.

The first person those ripples disturb is Loyal's absentee father. When Creed Raines realized his infant son was deaf, he headed for the hills, returning only to help meet his family's basic needs. But when Loyal, now a young teen, stumbles upon a murder it's his father he runs to tell--shaping the words with his hands. As Creed is pulled into the investigation he discovers that what sets his son apart isn't his inability to hear but rather his courage. Longing to reclaim the life he abandoned, Creed will have to do more than help solve a murder if he wants to win his family's hearts again.

My thoughts:  It has been too long since I read a book by Sarah Loudin Thomas.  When I sit down to read one of her books I know I will be immersed in the West Virginia hills and hollers.  And I definitely was in this story.  

Loyal Raines, who is almost fourteen, has been deaf since an illness took his hearing when he was four.  His father, Creed Raines, has been spending most of his time in the mountains for nearly as long.  He hasn't abandoned his family, but provides for their needs while mostly living apart from them.  If you were to ask him why he spends most of his time in the mountains, he would tell you it is better for his family that way.  Creed blames himself for his son's loss of hearing.  And if his wife, Delphy, was honest, she blames him too.  At the same time, Delphy longs for Creed to return to their home and so does Loyal.  The Raines family has a lot to work through and they do so realistically.  

After Loyal discovers a man's body near the river, it is his dad he goes to.  It means a lot to Creed that his son trusts him enough to come to him.  This is the first step in healing some of the wounds between father and son, husband and wife. 

While this book isn't listed as a mystery, it contains one of the best mysteries I have read in a while.  The dead man worked for the government and was trespassing where he didn't belong.  But, the property owner has an alibi.  Complicating matters, Loyal saw some things before he discovered the body that he is not sure he wants to tell.  Things that could cause trouble for his friends.  Also, because he is deaf, it is often hard for him to make others understand what he is saying. Creed works with the sheriff to uncover what happened.

This is also a coming-of-age story with Loyal feeling like he is almost a man and should be allowed to do certain things.  There is tension between Loyal and his parents as they try to protect him.  I loved how the author portrayed the struggle his parents were going through wanting to protect him, but also realizing that he was growing up and could handle things better than they thought.  

This story has it all - history, atmosphere, family drama, great characters and a mystery.  I only wish it were part of a series so I could spend more time with these characters.  

Quotes:

"It was early afternoon.  As he stepped into the front room, he could smell beans simmering on the stove, as well as the furniture polish Delphy used to keep the end tables gleaming.  The windows were open, and gauzy white curtains tugged at their rods as a breeze followed them inside."

"He'd been so afraid of doing more damage to the boy for so long.  Finally seeing how he could hold his own was liberating.  Maybe it wasn't about pushing like his own father had done, but simply encouraging the boy's natural abilities.  He thought maybe that was what a father ought to do and he was eager to try it out."