Windfall Nights

Two young friends embark on distinctly different life journeys in this emotionally moving story, Windfall Nights by William Claypool. An interesting assortment of characters comes together in this tale where both fate and freewill prevail.

Thomas and Julian meet as youngsters, one a young working man, the other a college student. Through the usual twists and turns of life, they navigate their lives and ultimately diverge not too long after they meet. Each with his own stories of woe, the two are challenged to move ever forward, endeavoring to find purpose and meaning for themselves.

Emotional connection with the key characters is remarkably well achieved. The people in the story are flawed and real, and their struggles are poignant, thus creating authenticity and believability. It is easy to feel what they are feeling and to strongly invest in their happiness. Through detail and dialogue, the author brings these fictional characters to life.

The story is presented as an impressively cohesive whole. For as much detail as there is, all loose ends are resolved at some point in the narrative. From providing sufficient backstory regarding the important relationship between Thomas’ mother and Julian, to explaining why Julian felt that he recognized Thomas before they had actually officially met, all otherwise stray story pieces are well-connected.

The chronology of the story does become a little difficult to wade through, particularly at a critical point when flashback wants to merge back into the present, but in a later chapter, this transition is clarified. For a brief period, it isn’t entirely clear where along the story’s continuum we are. It becomes necessary to suspend confusion until the timeline resurfaces a short time later.

For a touching story of two people trying to make their way in the world, look no further than Windfall Nights. Through the fictional accounts of the two key characters, Thomas and Julian, we are reminded that, regardless of who we are or where we go in our lives, everyone makes his/her mark on the world, even as the world unfolds around us in seemingly random fashion.