Full disclosure: R. Cathey Daniels, author of Live Caught is a friend. We’ve fished, played soccer, strummed guitars and much more. Admittedly, that was all years and a common time zone ago. We know of each other’s losses and joys. For me, reading her debut novel falls into the latter category.
Live Caught is about survival, redemption and the journey young Lenny, a one-armed teenager, embarks on toward a new life on his own. Daniels’ writing is poetic and visual. The element of place, rural North Carolina, is as vividly depicted as her characters.
At 14 Lenny leaves his family home with the goal of reaching the Atlantic Ocean via a rowboat with only his fishing gear, stolen cash, his wits and the emotional baggage bestowed upon him by two older, abusive brothers. However, Mother Nature intervenes and he’s washed ashore following a storm where he’s rescued by an old, foul-mouthed priest; someone Lenny is resistant to appreciating or accepting. Lenny’s judge of character is impressive for a teenager.
Herein is an issue: is Lenny credible? The answer is sometimes.
Despite the detour caused by the elements, Lenny hasn’t given up on his goal of reaching the ocean. Circumstances require new plans, which he hopes won’t take long to set in motion. As he helps the priest serve the community through food and clothing drives, the reasons why he left his parents, brothers and girlfriend are explained as Lenny’s backstory slowly comes to the surface.
Meanwhile, a cast of characters, including a corrupt police officer, a drug dealing buddy, an infant child and the priest unwittingly contribute to Lenny’s scheme to get back on the water.
The fast-paced narrative is divided into two parts; the second is set 10 years later when Lenny’s past catches up with him in unexpected ways.
Live Caught
Four Bookmarks
Black Lawrence Press, 2022
300 pages
The Blue Page Special 