- Paperback: 352 pages
- Publisher: New American Library; 1 Original edition (6 Sep 2011)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 045123460X
- ISBN-13: 978-0451234605
- Product Dimensions: 20.9 x 16.8 x 1.9 cm
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 202,260 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Cross Currents
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20 reviews
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Nature/Nurture: John Shors Finds the Relationship Again
6 Sep 2011
Format:Paperback
John Shors has secured his place among popular American novelists of the decade with this his sixth novel that combines a growing respect of the beauties of the globe and the intricacies of the manner in which characters seemingly misplaced in locales seek to find themselves only to discover that their place in the confusion of the world is close at hand, partially shaded by nature's vagaries.
CROSS CURRENTS is Shors reaction to the now almost forgotten massively destructive tsunami that devastated much of Thailand in December 2004. His love of travel to exotic places seems to instill in him an obsession for his readers to visit the places that have meant much to him. In preparation for this particular novel he revisited Thailand several times, gathering information for his plot, but more important, soaking in the cultural differences in this exotic locales so that he might paint it more accurately.
He introduces us to a Thai family of simple means - Lek, Sarai, and their three children who make a living running an island tourist `resort' on the island of Ko Phi Phi. They have given harbor to an American lad by the name of Patch whom we later learn is avoiding the law after a poorly judged run-in with drug dealing. Patch and the children are particularly close and Patch's presence helps the little family survive.
From the United States comes Patches look alike brother Ryan with his girlfriend Brooke: Ryan is there in Thailand to convince Patch to turn himself in to the authorities, take his punishment and get on with his life. The brothers are very close, but different in their values systems. A rife divides not only the brothers but also unstable bond between Ryan and Brooke. After each of the brothers realizes the value of the other and the world begins to make a little sense, the tsunami comes and destroys the island and many of the inhabitants, but the fate of Patch and Ryan and Brooke and Ryan's newly discovered love of a massage girl Dao is altered in a strange way that brings closure to the story.
Shors has the ability to take us to the locations where he places his novels to the point that we can smell the air, feel the water, taste the cuisine, and most important understand the inhabitants of these far off lands' peoples. He has a gift in relating formation of relationships of all kinds and manipulates his characters in such a way that they become close friends of ours, making us feel their joys and sorrows like few other authors can. And a pleasure associated with his writing is the lack of need for exaggerated language or sex: everything happens naturally and while he doesn't concentrate on dwelling with issues that can become tiresome, nor does he deny these exist. It is a matter of taste in his writing that overcomes the need for smarmy writing. He has the gift as is obvious by the accolades from famous authors pasted in the first pages of his book. John Shors will be around for a long time. Grady Harp, September 11
CROSS CURRENTS is Shors reaction to the now almost forgotten massively destructive tsunami that devastated much of Thailand in December 2004. His love of travel to exotic places seems to instill in him an obsession for his readers to visit the places that have meant much to him. In preparation for this particular novel he revisited Thailand several times, gathering information for his plot, but more important, soaking in the cultural differences in this exotic locales so that he might paint it more accurately.
He introduces us to a Thai family of simple means - Lek, Sarai, and their three children who make a living running an island tourist `resort' on the island of Ko Phi Phi. They have given harbor to an American lad by the name of Patch whom we later learn is avoiding the law after a poorly judged run-in with drug dealing. Patch and the children are particularly close and Patch's presence helps the little family survive.
From the United States comes Patches look alike brother Ryan with his girlfriend Brooke: Ryan is there in Thailand to convince Patch to turn himself in to the authorities, take his punishment and get on with his life. The brothers are very close, but different in their values systems. A rife divides not only the brothers but also unstable bond between Ryan and Brooke. After each of the brothers realizes the value of the other and the world begins to make a little sense, the tsunami comes and destroys the island and many of the inhabitants, but the fate of Patch and Ryan and Brooke and Ryan's newly discovered love of a massage girl Dao is altered in a strange way that brings closure to the story.
Shors has the ability to take us to the locations where he places his novels to the point that we can smell the air, feel the water, taste the cuisine, and most important understand the inhabitants of these far off lands' peoples. He has a gift in relating formation of relationships of all kinds and manipulates his characters in such a way that they become close friends of ours, making us feel their joys and sorrows like few other authors can. And a pleasure associated with his writing is the lack of need for exaggerated language or sex: everything happens naturally and while he doesn't concentrate on dwelling with issues that can become tiresome, nor does he deny these exist. It is a matter of taste in his writing that overcomes the need for smarmy writing. He has the gift as is obvious by the accolades from famous authors pasted in the first pages of his book. John Shors will be around for a long time. Grady Harp, September 11
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Cross-cultural tale that honors human love and complexity
10 Sep 2011
Format:Paperback
I agree fully with others who give Shors a 5-star ranking for this book. I read a great deal of fiction, and this novel offers something special. It describes not only intrafamily dynamics (one Thai family, one American family) in vivid and absorbing ways, but also the cross-cultural relationships between Thais and Americans, all with beautiful nuance. Primarily, what I mean by "nuance" is that these relationships are not homogenous, and no one is one-dimensional. The gap between rich tourists on the island of Ko Phi Phi and the poor local workers is acknowledged with detailed realism, for example, but yet the inequities aren't made into a point of moralistic preaching (this is not a "message book") and anyway not all of the tourists are shallow, or all the Thais noble. This sensitivity to human behavior is enwrapped in a plot of great suspense; we know from the outset that the tsunami will hit the island, and thus we know that not all the characters we've come to care about can possibly survive. This aspect alone kept me reading late into the night. Full marks to Shors for being unafraid to write with heart, with genuinely expressive love, about the bonds between the generations, between brothers, between lovers, and between friends. I will now be seeking to read Shors' earlier work.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Absolutely Wonderful
7 Sep 2011
Format:Paperback
I have been a fan of John Shors for several years now. A few days ago, I read that National Geographic Traveler magazine had selected his new book, Cross Currents, as its Book of the Month. I immediately went out and bought Cross Currents, and read it over a 24 hour period. This novel picked me up and did not let me go. In fact, it still hasn't--hours after I finished the last page. Yes, the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami makes an appearance at the end of this novel, but this story, at its core, at its heart, is about the beauty and strength of the human spirit. Cross Currents centers on two families. One is a three-generational Thai family trying to make ends meet by running a group of bungalows on the seashore. The other family involves two American brothers, one of whom is in trouble with the law. The two families come to rely on each other during the novel, and this merging is a wonderful thing. Cross Currents is a story of love, hope, sacrifice, and beauty. It's the best book I've read in 2011 and I'm delighted to recommend it here.
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