Reviewed by Grant Leishman for Readers' Favorite

A World of Slanted Light by Marvin Brauer is a delightfully clever and warm coming-of-age story set in the harsh environment of 1960s coal country in Congress, West Virginia. Marty Barber is a sensitive fifteen-year-old growing up in a town committed to their one industry – coal. Marty’s father works in the mine, but his mother is a distant, unemotional woman who has little or no time for Marty or the townspeople. Marty receives his needed mothering from three beautiful women who are married to miners and see Marty for the smart, sensitive, and loving soul he truly is. When disaster strikes at the mine, and Marty’s father is among the miners killed, he must decide what to do with the rest of his life: follow his mother to his grandparents’ place or strike out on his own, following his one true passion, photography. For the three women left behind, life without Marty will be lonely and empty. Marty must seek his own direction and reflect on the three wonderful women he loved and left.

A World of Slanted Light is an absolute must-read for anyone who loves deep, caring characters who strike out against societal norms and go where their hearts lead them, rather than fitting into the boxes designed for them by society. Marvin Brauer has created some outstanding characters, especially in Marty, whom readers will identify and empathize deeply with as he faces the difficulties brought on by his detached and remote mother. I particularly appreciated the characters and emotions of the three women in Marty’s life. Three very different women, and yet each had a special place in their hearts for a young, lonely, and lost boy. The sexual tension that was evident from the very first chapter carries on throughout the book, especially as Marty passes through adolescence and into manhood. The overriding question of whether the love between the quartet would go unrequited or not was constantly hanging over the narrative. I thought the romantic scenes were beautifully written and evoked a subtle eroticism. The idea of a possible ménage à quatre is something so extraordinary for rural West Virginia in the 1960s or even today that it gives the storyline a unique and fascinating arc. I thoroughly loved this work and will definitely be looking for more by this talented author. Highly recommended.