Something strangely wondrous is going on with my book, Cheeseland.
It began on January 6, a Sunday, when an Amazon UK user, Dan Bushell, posted this 5-star review of my book on the Amazon UK site:
“Potentially one of the best books I've read , I wish I could find a word to describe the book ... but all I can say is wow .... just wow.”
You can imagine the word that came into my head when I read that review: wow…just wow.
I would never have thought to even look on the Amazon UK site if it had not been for two reviews that had been posted within the last week on Goodreads, a social media site for book lovers.
On January 20, a chap from the UK, Steve Wright, posted this 5-star review:
A sensational tale of faith (from the secular to the religious), friendship and the path to responsibility. Richardson's picaresque style is both candid and energetic, his prose steeped in clarity and humour. Truly a great read that I would put up there with Catcher in the Rye as a timeless critique of maturation, love and friendship.
At the time I assumed this was an anomaly, but then, three days later, on January 23, a UK Goodreads user, Darnel, posted this 5-star review:
Wow, what a great read. Loved this. It's funny, spiritual, terrifying, tearful....it has everything. I've never been to Chicago yet I feel I have been there. The author is very expressive and poignant. Top notch, straight away.
The mystery behind these British reviews only makes them more intriguing. How did they come to find my book? Do they all know one another? Are they part of a book club? What is it about my Midwestern coming-of-age story that resonates with them?
All I do know is that we live in a fascinating small world, a place where my words – as if placed in a bottle and dropped into the Atlantic – are able to reach out and touch someone who is 4,000 miles away. The pen is indeed a mighty weapon.