NOT YOUR RANK-AND-FILE BEDTIME STORY…Failure of Fish is a refreshing newcomer to those relatively few novels qualifying as fine literary works. Addressing the age-old problem of individual moral responsibility, author Michael Sorbonne Robinson, Sr. explores the mind of Billy Potter, a fatherless teen boy who watches helplessly as his childhood community descends into moral and financial ruin, ending up, literally, as the smoking remains of a once-thriving town. Billy struggles in his own challenges of dealing with the loss of his father, the apparent duplicity of his mother, the clash of religious piety and scientific learning, and his own uncharted transition from puberty to manhood. Set in Western British Columbia during the early days of Germany’s first rise to power and the war that would end all wars, He faces the uncertainties of a changing world and the realization that even the remoteness of Stella’s Cove, B.C. fails to provide protection against the terrors of war. It is the loss of his closest friend that crystallizes his understanding that home is not really so isolated after all. Failure of Fish recreates the heartaches, fears, and disintegrating realities of a true coming-of-age hero. One of the books first reviewers had this to say: I have just finished reading Failure of Fish and found it an excellent read. I loved teaching 10th grade English and coming-of-age literature. Billy’s character deserves status along-side Holden Caulfield, Huck Finn, Phineas, and the lads in Lord of the Flies in their elusive search for identity and manhood. Were I still teaching, I certainly would have added Failure of Fish to my reading list. While not at all a suspense thriller, Robinson nails the sometimes shockingly depraved behavior of his characters, including the horrifying actions of Myles Cromwell, the town’s Methodist minister, creating a final summary judgment for those who abdicated their moral responsibility to the will of a group. If you’re tired of bodice-rippers and the same-ol’-same-ol’, you will find this book a refreshing and thought provoking read.
