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The story of life is a complicated one. It’s a dance, a fast-paced whirling dervish often led by the vixen known as Chance – chance meetings, opportunity and losses that dictate where we end up. When the chances lead to comedic and startling happenstances, some might call it serendipity, others fate or perhaps even God having a sense of humor. For Willy Finnerman, when life begins to complicate, he chooses to follow its long and winding road down the path less taken.
Michael Snyder’s latest novel, Return Policy, is the story of Willy Finnerman and how his journey from the black dog leads him to critically injuring a suicidal armadillo, befriending a half-crazed homeless man and falling in love. Through loss, Willy finds doors open and redemption creeping in – even when he isn’t sure he seeks it.
Willy meets Ozena Webb when his espresso machine, much like the replacement heart Willy received as a child, refuses to die. Ozena is the beacon of light to Willy’s despair. She is the voice on the other end of the phone – the lifeline that keeps Willy from succumbing to his darkest moments. Shaq, the homeless man who slides from upper-class refinement to ghetto gutter boy with the wink of an eye, is the catalyst who shakes up their worlds.
Snyder has created a cast of characters that pull at the heart-strings and challenge the reader. Written from three rotating perspectives, it is easy to follow the narrators and fall under their spell. With realistic plotlines and authentic dialog, Snyder doesn’t waste a sentence.
Somber tones lift as the characters begin to look inside themselves and each other for the answers of the heart. Life is full of chance, and sometimes you have to take it to begin to really live.
For more on Michael Snyder, visit his website at: http://www.michaelsnyderwrites.com/home
* Image courtesy of Michael Snyder website
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