Don’t Let the Wind Catch You

Set in New York’s Genesee Valley, \”Don’t Let The Wind Catch You\” takes you back to a simpler, less materialistic time when children didn’t take everything for granted and the unexpected gift of a transistor radio was a big thrill for a twelve-year old. “I’d rather sprawl on my bed with Richie Rich or Superman comics while chewing my coveted reserve of Teaberry Gum. Better yet, I’d rather read comics while rolling Atomic Fireballs in my mouth. That was the best. But I’d finished off the five cents worth that I bought last week at the market,” says twelve year-old Gus. It was the time of reading Hardy Boys books, playing board games with your parents after dinner, saving pocket money to buy the latest Beatles single, and the blush of first love. “She raised her eyes to mine and fluttered her eyelashes, just like in the movies. My heart thumped harder and melted like a Hershey bar in the hot July sun.” But this novel isn’t just a great trip down memory lane. The pre-teens Gus and his best friends, the twins Elsbeth and Siegfried, are determined to get to the bottom of something highly unusual. While trespassing on the property of a recluse and peeking into his window, they hear a strange noise, and they hear him talking to someone. Except there’s no one but him in the room. Their curiosity is further piqued when the conversation with the invisible person continues as the man steps outside the door and goes to his pickup truck. The mystery is eventually solved and a lot is learned along the way of solving it, including the discovery that the history of the area they live in has been distorted to hide the awful truth about what really happened. The author took a bit of creative license when it came to the history, but it added yet another interesting twist to a good read for those who like this genre.

Don\’t Let the Wind Catch You is another simply wonderful book by this talented author. Set in upstate New York in the 1960\’s, it is a coming of age story that is so beautifully written that it made me long to go back in time to my own pre-teen years. In fact, I felt like I did, except that I met three amazing new friends there, and we had exciting adventures, as well as learning a good bit more about the facts of growing up in the process. Gus, Sig and Elsbeth are people I wish I had really known with I was a kid. So happy to be able to dive into their lives now by reading this series. Super highly recommended for tweens, teens and adults.

Don\’t Let the Wind Catch You is a wonderful story of three pre-teenage children growing up in a small upstate New York town in the summer of 1965. The book captures both the innocence of the times, as well as that of the children wonderfully. The story is descriptive and easy flowing. The chapters are short and too the point, making this a wonderful read for pre-teen and teen aged children. There is a bit of everything in this book, drama, mystery, history, maybe even a bit of the supernatural. I felt Mr. Lazar did a particularly good job dealing with the coming of age aspect of Gus\’ feelings for his friend Elsbeth. He describes the awkwardness and self conflict Gus is dealing with in a very life like manner. There were times when this book reminded me of the movie \”Stand by me.\” Other times the book \”To Kill a Mockingbird\” (even before it was mentioned in the book). In all, this book was extremely well written with a great story. It is highly recommended.

Aaron Paul Lazar has written a beautiful story, one that will stay with me for a long time. The characters have become friends I don’t want to lose. I laughed out loud at some of their antics, held my breath in some places, and at times wiped away tears. Twelve-year-old Gus LeGarde started that summer as a boy, but he grew beyond his years. All the characters— Tully, Elspeth, Siegfried, and the others—were well developed and grew as the story progressed. I loved them. Lazar’s writing flows smoothly throughout; he created scenes so rich I felt I was there and shared in the experiences. Don’t Let the Wind Catch You is a coming of age story that reveals deep understanding of the human condition. There’s tragedy, humor, compassion, and love. It touched me on many levels–definitely a keeper. I alternated between reading and listening to the audio. The narrator is very good and his voice suits the story and characters. I highly recommend this book.

Love these books, just about to read the latest one

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