Reviewed by Gaius Konstantine for Readers' Favorite

Being lonely is harsh; it can happen to the young and old alike. Often, though, it is a choice. Scott Semegran's novel, The Codger And The Sparrow, indicates that loneliness is self-inflicted at times. For Hank O'Sullivan, life has been reduced to killing time in an old-man bar, downing one whiskey old-fashioned after another, until his routine gets disrupted by a fistfight that lands Hank 40 hours of community service as a penalty. As Hank goes to pick up trash on the side of a road, a young teen falls out of a tree and directly into his life. With his new friend Luis, a talented aspiring artist, Hank sets out on a road trip to break his loneliness, and the young man tags along, looking to meet up with a mother he hasn't seen in years. As this unlikely duo travels together, they discover that life does not always give us what we want, but if we are lucky, it does give us what we need.

Concise and well-written, The Codger And The Sparrow by Scott Semegran is an excellent example of a contemporary novel that may one day be considered a classic. The story revolves around two main characters who experience loneliness and grief. Despite their differing reasons for these emotions, both men carry deep emotional wounds. Acceptance, friendship, and forgiveness are prominent themes. Hank and Luis become better people from their time together and learn to make the best of life rather than just accepting misery as a companion. The character development, including that of the protagonists and secondary individuals like Luis' father, is exceptionally well-crafted. The story progresses at a sublime pace, making The Codger And The Sparrow a superb tale that will captivate young and older readers alike, and I highly recommend it.