Generally, when reviewing a good book with flaws, I list all the good things first, then briefly mention the flaws. Instead, I choose to begin this review with a mention of its major flaw -- poor editing -- and get it out of the way. Boulders are "huge," not "hugh." "Site" and "sight" are different words. It's "copyright," not "copywrite." "Its" and "it's" are different words. And so on, and so on.

Having said that, and pushing editing issues to the side, "The Pendulum's Path" is a terrific book! It's been a long time since I've enjoyed a Mormon-related novel, independently published, as much as I enjoyed this book.

"The Pendulum's Path," set in contemporary Utah, tells the astounding story of the Crump family. We first meet Tom Lewis (a member of the Crump family clan), a mortgage salesman and happily expectant husband, as he and his wife plan for the arrival of their first child.

One day, while walking their dog through a nearby park, they encounter an old, eccentric man who turns out to be Tom's long-lost uncle Martin. Despite Tom's efforts to reconnect, Martin maintains his distance. But a cryptic comment causes Tom to realize that he knows little, if anything, about his family. He had long ago given up on Mormonism; he and his wife enjoy a cold beer at the end of a long day!

And so begins Tom's quest for his past. Through sheer force of will, he compels Martin to recount his early history. The revelations are shocking and life-changing for Tom. His job, his marriage, all seem on the verge of disaster as he pursues his quest for identity and truth of his own place in the family history.

Through a series of vivid flashbacks, author Dave Shields holds the reader captivated as he recounts a fascinating, and disturbing, world of early 20th century Mormonism in Utah. Readers must be aware that this isn't a pretty picture. From a dominating, hypocritical father to a submissive, and deeply flawed, mother and family, this isn't a feel-good account of forever families. Instead, it is a graphic description of the effect of dysfunction and repression in a publicly-respectable Mormon family. Father, Bishop and, later, Stake President, is a thoroughly unappealing character. The children are easier to like, but as Shields shows, this isn't necessarily a good indicator of later success in life.

As Tom's relationship with Martin grows, and as he learns more of his personal history, he becomes more and more aware of how fleeting family relationships can be, how fragile we all are in a world filled with stern realities. Once-admired relatives turn up as flawed and failing. Relationships once thought to be solid are now understood to be brittle and infirm. And once one's past is undermined by truth, one's present (and future) trembles with the awful realizations.

As the story develops, so does Tom's understanding of his bloodline, and as this understanding grows, so does his awareness of the broken nature of his heritage. Culminating in a harrowing mountain climb with Martin, the threads of Tom's life come together with clarity and a sense of final resolution that will shape the future of Tom and his family.

Readers should be aware that Shields resorts to harsh language from time to time, the kind that Deseret Book and such would reject out of hand. But somehow the language fits the situations. It's never gratuitous.

"The Pendulum's Path," as its title suggests, swings back and forth between the present and the past, but the story-line is easily followed. I generally dislike this style of writing, but Shields makes it work nicely. However, from time to time, I wondered if there weren't two writers at work here. I found the flashbacks to be far more compelling than the present story, although I enjoyed both. Perhaps this was deliberate.

And when I finished the book, I thought Shields ought to have added a chapter to tie together some loose ends. But, then again, life doesn't always come to a satisfactory end. Perhaps this, too, was deliberate.

"The Pendulum's Path" will never be mistaken for faith-promoting literature. It will never be on the recommended reading list for LDS youth or Relief Society reading circles. Graphic and honest, it takes the reader on a wild, nearly unbelievable journey through the trials of a Mormon family, whose respectability is nothing more than a facade, and the effects of hypocrisy and judgementalism on an extended family.

I was very glad to have read this book. Despite its flaws, "The Pendulum's Path" is a gripping, engaging story, very well written by a very talented writer. It will remain in my collection as an example of literate alternative Mormon fiction.

Jeff Needle
jeff.needle@general.com