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Rites of Autumn (Wheatheart Chronicles, #1)

Cliff Schimmels

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Dec 30, 2019 Werner rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: general-fiction

Although I appreciate a Christian perspective in a novel or story, I don't read many fiction publications from ECPA (Evangelical Christian Publishers Assn.) presses, simply because the great majority of them are formulaic and predictable light romances, a type of fiction that normally doesn't interest me much. So when this novel was donated to the Bluefield College library earlier this year, it caught my attention as an exception to that pattern. (It's also exceptional in that, where the romance Although I appreciate a Christian perspective in a novel or story, I don't read many fiction publications from ECPA (Evangelical Christian Publishers Assn.) presses, simply because the great majority of them are formulaic and predictable light romances, a type of fiction that normally doesn't interest me much. So when this novel was donated to the Bluefield College library earlier this year, it caught my attention as an exception to that pattern. (It's also exceptional in that, where the romances seem to usually be consciously written for, and marketed to, the publishing industry's stereotype of "the female reader," this book features male main characters and seems designed to be read by both genders.) In the closing days of the year, I chose it to read just because I needed a short book to fill in time before starting a January common read, not expecting to necessarily be blown away by its quality and depth. But I got the effect I didn't expect! When I name my five top favorite reads of 2019, this one is in the running for a place on the list --and if it's edged out, the call will be extremely close. (I'm also going to be adding the second book of the trilogy to my to-read shelf, though I didn't know this was a series opener when I picked it up.)

Our setting here is Wheatheart, Oklahoma (pop. 1,240), a small wheat/maize farming community in the flat, dry western part of the state. This is general fiction in the Realist style, and specifically Regionalist Realism; the attitudes, speech patterns, mores, behavior, material culture and natural world of rural/small-town Oklahoma is brought to life and recreated as clearly as if we were seeing photographs and film footage. (It's a very textured novel, and we come to know the community itself as well as the characters.) As it begins, we find protagonist Abe Ericson accepting condolences on the death of his 16-year-old son, Jimmy Charles. The first chapter brings him to the brink of an unspecified decision. Then we go back to the boy's birth, and the narrative covers the ensuing 16 years, 1965-1981, before coming full circle. For all its chronological scope, at 164 pages this is a short novel; but it's a solid one, as long as it needs to be with no unnecessary padding. Both main characters, and the supporting characters, are rounded and true to life. (I could particularly relate to Jimmy Charles, though I never played football.) Although we're dealing with a tragic story arc, the book is not an essentially depressing reading experience, as it could have been in some hands.

The role of Christian faith in the life of the community and the Ericson family is presented positively and realistically (they belong to the Baptist church, as did the author). But the tone is not at all "preachy," faith doesn't guarantee flawless parenting nor magically exempt the faithful from misguided attitudes and human foibles, and the major themes are not "religious." Rather, the central concerns are the kinds of dreams (healthy or unhealthy) that fathers harbor for their sons, and the relation of the individual to community expectations --which may be both constructive and constrictive. Wheatheart is a community that glorifies its high-school football program, and the titular "rites of autumn" are football-focused. Technical football terms are used here with confidence; Dr. Cliff Schimmels (1937-2001) coached football in a town much like Wheatheart and later at Wheaton College, besides teaching high-school English and in teacher education at Wheaton. I suspect both Coach Rose and Principal Benalli embody aspects of the author (and that he was both a good coach and a good teacher). But you don't need to be a football fan (I'm not one!) to deeply appreciate the book. Ultimately, it's not a book "about football," though football serves as a backdrop. Fundamentally, it's a book about life --and one with a lot to say. ...more

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