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William Potter attempted his first novel at age eleven when he scribbled a few lines about a giant rampaging crab. The teen years kept his imagination in a state of unrest and he used poetry to journal personal thoughts, achievements and events of those times. He returned to his love of storytelling in his twenties, writing numerous short stories; and now in his forties, has published two books and three novellas.
Reviewed by Donna M. for Readers' Favorite
James Goodal is living a life of isolation, solitude, and regrets. He sees his life as a failure and lives in a home that feels like a castle, a house that he dreamed would be filled with children and family. However, his wife and childhood sweetheart decides that she no longer wants the marriage, or the family they aspired for, and leaves Goodal with unfulfilled dreams and memories of better days.
Goodal’s life takes a sudden turn when he rescues Ashley who was thrown from a speeding car. As an 11-year-old virgin, Ashley was alienated and isolated from society in the worst way possible. She was exploited in the sex trade market, sold for sex through the internet, so that her mother could purchase drugs and pay off her debt to the drug dealer she is in hock to. Now as a 14-year-old, Ashley's only goal is to save her own life. She makes a brazen attempt to escape this life by using the only thing she knows how to use, her sexuality. While Goodal is greatly tempted by Ashley’s wiles, he tries to gather his wits and show Ashley that what was done to her was wrong; he manages with great difficulty to resist her temptations. Ashley’s mother and step-father are in deep debt to their drug suppliers because they use more products than they sell; therefore, their lives are in danger. Their only hope of survival is to find Ashley (and a broach that is in her possession) to pay off their drug supplier and save their own lives.
This story has you on the edge of your seat as you root for Ashley to live a normal life and escape the wiles of her mother and for Goodal to hold true to his values and show Ashley that she really can live a normal life. This author has a healthy knowledge of human behavior and a natural talent with dialogue. This story had me on the edge of my seat rooting for the protagonists. It also brought tears to my eyes as I traveled with Goodal and Ashley who were both hurting and struggling to overcome their own personal life tragedies and bring normalcy to their lives.
The author, William Potter, had two other short stories, but his titling was the same as the chapters that began Surviving the Fall; therefore, I found myself confused and didn't realize that I was starting a new story. The other two stories had the same kind of dynamic dialogue as Surviving the Fall. However, even though they were different stories, I felt that the stories were told with the same voice, tone, and flair as Surviving the Fall. Therefore, I felt that even though they were different stories, it was the voice of Goodal that was actually telling these stories; the author could work on each character having his own voice.
