LATEST REVIEWS OF SAVING SUPERMAN
IndieReader Discovery Awards gives a 5 star review and Approval sticker *********************** Genre: Fiction Title: Saving Superman Author: Kathleen Sales Rating: 5 SAVING SUPERMAN is a poignant tale about a young boy and a man in the woods who become unlikely friends and heroes, helping one another through their traumas. Together they unlock a secret that ultimately frees the boy’s mother and father from their own darkness and unites their family once more. The story opens with Pete on the run and suddenly lost in the woods, facing a bear. No. It’s not a bear, but a disheveled man who offers Pete shelter in his cabin, providing him with food and a place to hide out for a couple of days. Jake teaches Pete how to fish and Pete opens up to Jake about his life. Jake, a soldier who has returned from Iraq, is supportive and doesn’t seem very different from Pete, except for the screaming at night, when Jake is taken over by night terrors. Pete is a regular boy, almost eleven. But his life is falling apart. His mother has lost her baby and is in a state of severe depression in a home. Pete’s father is a World War II veteran, angry, emotionally lost and working endless hours to make ends meet. Pete’s sister and his grandmother do their best to deal with the bottled up emotions but are ineffective at best. When Pete finally returns home, tensions rise and unravel a mystery that must finally be addressed and treated. Author Kathleen Sales characters are fully actualized and sympathetic. Sales deftly examines the insidious effects of psychological trauma in the lives of a family, exposing the symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, dangers and, ultimately the cathartic effects of treatment. Sales’ story is beautifully simple and sensitive, with clear language and flowing pace that entices the reader and holds onto them through the organic exploration of how each character manifests and handles their trauma. SAVING SUPERMAN is a powerful story with haunting insight into how children and grown ups perceive and respond to trauma of many varieties. An unforgettable and timely reading experience today’s culture. Reviewed by Maya Fleischmann for IndieReader. Reviews from Amazon.com ***** 5.0 out of 5 stars A Triumph of the Human Spirit, February 25, 2014 By Joyce W. Leo "waterliy", author and playwright (Lenoir City, TN USA) This review is from: Saving Superman (Paperback) Both my husband Don and I LOVED this book! Don loved it because it told an adult story through the eyes of a ten-year-old boy in the spirit of Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer. This book is not easy to put down because it provides several mysteries revealed only at the end. In addition, it provides a compassionate understanding of the struggles of PTSD on both the young and the old, male and female. Yet the characters show resilience and ingenuity in overcoming their painful traumas. A must-read book for everyone who enjoys a great story celebrating the triumph of the human spirit ***** 5.0 out of 5 stars Couldn't put it down, January 26, 2014 By Judy Huffstetler Amazon Verified Purchase This review is from: Saving Superman (Kindle Edition) I typically don't read fiction but this book was amazing and gives u a better understanding of PTSD and those who suffer from it. A must read. ***** 5.0 out of 5 stars An Exciting and Thought Provoking Read, January 17, 2014 By Steve Alcorn "Author and Online Instructor" (Orlando, FL USA) This review is from: Saving Superman (Paperback) Saving Superman is the moving story of a young boy who runs away from home and encounters an equally lost soul. Together they help each other find their way. The book is a great exploration of the stresses borne by the veterans of World War II and their families. Ms. Sales does a great job of capturing realistic dialogue, and describing the milieu of the post war years in rural America. The plot is driven forward by many interesting story questions that are revealed as the action develops. The story is absorbing, and I read the book in one sitting. A fine debut novel. |
About the Author...![]() Kathleen Sales is a retired psychiatrist, raised in Michigan and educated at the University of Michigan, Wayne State University in Detroit, and the University of California in San Diego. She received many awards during college and medical school including Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Sigma, Alpha Omega Alpha, and creative writing awards.
Dr. Sales worked as a psychiatrist for nearly forty years, mostly in rural counties around Knoxville, Tennessee. She specialized in treating PTSD, starting with Vietnam veterans during her residency and working with many abused and traumatized people throughout her career. Kathleen now lives outside Knoxville with her husband, a physicist at Oak Ridge National Lab. Saving Superman is the third novel she's written, the first to be published. Her new novel, Attack from Within is already at the printer. Along with writing, she plays cello for her church, visits nursing homes with her dog Chico, rides horses, plays cello, kayaks, and gardens. PINNACLE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD for SAVING SUPERMAN
NABE has awarded Saving Superman their Pinnacle Achievement Award in Psychological Fiction for the summer 2014. |

Saving Superman - Chapter One | |
File Size: | 136 kb |
File Type: | docx |