Cover Image: In the Fall They Come Back

In the Fall They Come Back

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Member Reviews

STRONG 5 STARS.....
This book was my 'best friend' while I worried about Hurricane Irma, this past week.
When I took worry breaks for our daughter in Saint Petersburg knowing that the 'eye-of-the-serge' was coming right through her neighborhood-
"In The Fall They Come Back" kept me fully entertained! Our daughter contacted me this morning- on this 16th anniversary of 9/11. She's safe. Thankful and grateful-I'll always associate Robert Bausch's novel with my experience of Irma - the fears I went through and ultimately the miracles of the largest Hurricane in America and memories of 9/11.
As I said -- this book, 'my friend', was wonderful 'comfort-company' to me. I enjoyed it very much!!!

I'm a sucker for a good story in a private Preparatory school - and this novel more than satisfied my cravings.

This story begins in the fall of 1985--shortly after Ben Jameson, 25 years old, graduated college. He got a teaching job teaching English in Virginia at a school called Glenn Acres....a private Preparatory school. Ben taught at Glenn Acres for two years before becoming a lawyer... which was his plan from the get-go. At the time when Ben wrote his book -he had already been practicing law for 20 years for the federal government in the antitrust division. Even after 20 years he still had regrets about what happened during those two years and was still contemplating the consequences from those years.
He 'underlines' that his story is not about education, or school, or teaching even though what happened started in a school.
He says: "To say this story is about teaching is exactly the same as saying the adventures of Huckleberry Finn is about the Mississippi River".

I WAS HOOKED FROM THE START.....
I was never bored reading this book -- but I wondered how long it was -- as it seemed to take me longer to read than I thought it would. I wasn't sure if it was me with my 'worry-wart' breaks - or if the book was just long. Its 521 pages.
Regardless, even during a traumatic week in life, this book had me hooked and involved!!!!

Our teacher, Ben was 'involved', too.....with his students! Ben's girlfriend Annie, whom he lived with would press him with questions such as, "why did he feel it was his job to help his students personal problems? Annie accused Ben of having a Christ Complex...a label she gave Ben for wanting to help make situations better.

The headmistress of the School, Mrs. Creighton, wanted to know why Ben felt he had to teach about the holocaust and death in his writing classes and "wing it' rather than stick to the writing topics in the text.
Mrs. Creighton wanted Ben to show her a summary on definitions, and descriptions, and comparison contrast, on analysis, and in proper grammar.
Heck, Ben was already exhausted from so many papers to read each night from his students - more work was the last thing he wanted. I laughed silly when Ben said,
"I mean, I could say predicate nominative, but I have no freaking idea what it was".
I laughed - because I sure know I can't write...but to see an English/writing teacher admit their limitations- made me not feel 'too' bad! Ha!

This Ben guy made me laugh....( but he was sincere too).
Watching the hot water he would often step into was almost painful.

But.....Ben's intentions were good. He really 'did' want to help his students lives be better. He took a special interest in students George Meeker and Leslie Warren, and Susanne Rule.
George was the the kid who often got picked on. Kids called him Gay-Org.....( after hearing George's mother call him that - in front of his peers). WE ALL WANTED TO HELP GEORGE!!! As for his parents ... that's another story!

Leslie - is another can of worms. She's the most drop dead beautiful girl in the entire school.... ( teachers and students can't seem to look away). Leslie also has a promiscuous reputation... drugs ... is savy & smart.... and the faculty has warned Ben to stay far away. She's trouble!

With Susanne --broken and voiceless -Ben gave her poetry.

There are soooo many terrific scenes in this book. I enjoyed many of the classroom discussions. One was about heroes and villains. The interactions between then and the students were great. They looked at how literature is about everything....history,
psychology, sociology, philosophy, are anthropology, music, biology, mathematics, and about being human. What made the discussions so engaging were the characters themselves having them!!

There was another great discussion about affirmative action with one of the senior teachers who called himself Professor Bible, .... with Ben, and Leslie. Thought-provoking dialogue looking at both sides of the issues.

There are other compelling characters: the headmistress, the faculty- the students - etc. and two dogs: SOUTH and NORTH ..... named after the Civil War: South Carolina and North Carolina.

Oh... and Professor Bible teaches an awesome 'chalk' trick! I'm dying to try it!

THE STORYTELLING IS WONDERFUL!
Many flawed characters ....precisely what I loved!!!
Boundaries and moral issues get explored.
I found this novel be intellectually stimulating-- with a kick-up-your heels joy!!!

Many Thanks to Netgalley, Bloomsbury, and Robert Bausch

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