December 24, 2019 • Page 10 shop online at www.missourivalleyshopper.com The Bookworm The Dark Allure Of ‘Marley’ Is No Humbug “Marley: A Novel” by Jon Clinch; © 2019, Atria. 288 pages ——— BY TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER You’ve always looked forward to Christmas Future. Getting the family together is the best. Seeing the decorations, hearing the carols, watching TV specials, it’s an annual treat that adds another layer of memories you’ll savor forever. But as in the new novel “Marley” by Jon Clinch, beware of the Ghost of Christmas Past. Professor Drabb’s Academy for Boys lived up to its name very well. It was drab, more like a prison than a place for learning, but Ebenezer Scrooge didn’t complain. He didn’t say anything, really, because it was safer to stay inconspicuous, lest he be noticed by the cruel but usually-absent Professor himself. Scrooge was, therefore, happy when fellow classmate Jacob Marley offered to keep him out of some sort of misunderstanding. Naturally, that was a ruse meant to take advantage of Scrooge and in time to come, Marley would continue to take advantage, even after Scrooge became his business partner. Marley had always known that he, himself, had no head for numbers; Scrooge had no patience for deals. Theirs would be a mutually beneficial partnership, emphasis on Marley: he’d been shamelessly siphoning money from the business for years, through a series of false corporations with fake names in empty offices in his cavernous house, and Scrooge was none the wiser. But there was one little wrinkle. The lovely Belle Fairchild had practically thrown herself at Scrooge until the dimwit finally noticed her presence. Scrooge wanted now to marry Belle, but her father forbade it as long as Scrooge & Marley were involved in the soon-to-be-illegal slave trade. For this reason, Scrooge wanted to divest the business of the whole endeavor. Though Marley was courting Scrooge’s sister, Fan, he put her aside to concentrate on maintaining the lucrative but illicit slaving operation in a way that Ebenezer wouldn’t notice. He might lose Fan. He might lose his soul, but there was no way Jacob Marley was losing any money … Reading “Marley” is like dancing with an octopus wearing stilettos: you’re going to get kicked by many somethings sharp, and it’s probably going to be the wit inside this book. Author Jon Clinch’s Marley is one of the worst, most irredeemable, most deliciously despicable characters in literature, having a near-pathological Former Yankton Resident Releases Second Book In Series QUIMPER, France — Former Yankton resident Clark Eide has released the second book in his “Abbey Chronicles” series, “To Everything A Season,” the continuation of the fascinating story of his “not so ordinary” modern day monk, Jean Moreau, available now at Yankton Area Arts. The series’ first book, “A Monk’s Way,” has received a warm reception, including the following reviews from the prestigious Midwest Book Review and from former Yankton resident, Dr. Mike McVay: “… Impressively well written and consistently compelling from beginquest for self-benefit and an evil indifference to any ning to end, “A Monk’s Way” is as thoughtful and suffering he may cause. thought-provoking as it is Marley destroys with unfailingly entertaining.” unapologetic impunity — Midwest Book Review as Clinch narrates his ac“…This book describes tions with the keenest of a unique contemplative sarcasm, in a way that lets journey in rich prose. readers know that feeling Clark Eide weaves a disgust toward Marley is perfectly fine. This — both fascinating tale about the spiritual path and wakstory and tone — help ing up to Presence in our to fill in the holes in the lives.” — Michael R. McVay classic novel, and it may MD/retired Cardiologist change your perceptions & Practitioner, Teacher – of any of its versions this Mindfulness Meditation year: you’ll know why This gripping yet Scrooge was wistful with contemplative second the Ghost of Christmas narrative is set again Past, what the Ghost of in the fictitious Abbey Christmas Present knew, and the terror of the Ghost of Kervennec in France where Father Jean Moreau of Christmas Future. This is a curl-up-by-the- is facing some challenging circumstances amidst the fire kind of book but it’s surprising surroundings of not a happy Holiday one. Instead, it’s razor-like and a modern day abbey. Like its predecessor, scheming and wonderful. Start “Marley,” in fact, and “To Everything A Season” is written as a parable for you’ll have a Dickens of a modern-day life. A captitime putting it down. vating novel, “To Everything A Season” is both richly descriptive of life in an abbey, and a compel- Happy Holidays From All Of Us Over 30 Years Experience! ling guide to discovering a direct relationship with the divinity within. As Moreau traces his own path in a compelling way, readers will also find ways to reflect on how to establish their own connection to their higher spiritual power. Insightful and at times enlightening, both “A Monk’s Way” and “To Everything A Season” are entertaining stories that posit an alternative to blindly following the conventional dogma of organized religion and presents readers with the tools to ultimately cultivate a more meaningful relationship with a higher power. “I am writing this series because I have seen how people, particularly when they reach a certain age, are hungry. Their search for meaning and fulfillment in life has not always been satisfied by their traditional religions,” says Eide. “What satisfies that hunger are not ‘things’ or ‘dogma’. What satisfies is more subtle, waiting to be discovered. It is the spiritual dimension of life. Most have followed the traditional religious path to spirit yet therein lies the issue: overreliance on traditional religion as their only reference to provide answers. But these are often complicated and inadequate, rarely allowing room for one to pursue that connection individually. I wanted to give people ways to achieve this framed within the context of my character’s personal experience, even a monk, one at the heart of a traditional religion’s institution.” “To Everything A Season” and “A Monk’s Way” are both available in paperback this Christmas season at the Yankton Area Arts’ Crimson Door event, located at the GAR Hall at 508 Douglas. E-Books are available from Amazon.com or the author’s website, www. clarkeide.com. In addition, readers can also enjoy a companion book, “Ecstatic Prayers of Jean Moreau,” available at Amazon digitally and in paperback. Former financial services entrepreneur and now wrier and professional singer, Clark Eide is an American-born monastery devotee and writer living in France. His travels around the world — from the US to the UK, Ireland to India, and from France to Australia — are driven by an examination of spiritual traditions around the world. He is a member of the College of Psychic Studies in London, and currently supports the Self-Realization Fellowship of Paramahansa Yogananda in Los Angeles. He has been a long-time student of Transcendental Meditation, and he has had the opportunity to visit with Indian pundits both in situ and in the United States on practical matters and astrology. He continues to be a student of alternative therapies such as Healing Touch, massage, hypnotherapy and EFT, and has studied with yoga masters in several countries. These encounters and experiences have taught him that spirituality is about one thing only, a direct connection to the Divine. MV Shopper CLASSIFIEDS M I S S O U R I VA L L E Y IN PRINT & ONLINE To place your ad call... 605.665.5884 RON’S AUTOInsurance Companies GLASS FREE Rock Chip Repair Through Most WINDSHIELD REPAIR & REPLACEMENT AUTO • TRUCK • HEAVY EQUIPMENT We now replace residential and commercial glass Topper Glass • Plexi Glass • Mirrors • Quick Service Quality Work • Competitive Prices • Mobile Glass Service Ron Evans, Owner 1915 Broadway (Next to Dairy Queen) Yankton, SD 605-665-9841 January 2nd MTI Technology Center 1800 E. 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