Forever
A Novel
By Pete Hamill  

      Author Pete Hamill brings readers an enchanting tale. It begins in Northern Ireland in the late 1700s – a cold place populated with warring Protestants and Catholics. Robert Carson is the lead character. The story starts with him and his family. Robert is five years old and lives with his parents (Da and Ma). Da is John Carson, a blacksmith. Ma is Rebecca, a soft-spoken woman who keeps the fire in the hearth alive and recites Bible stories to her only son.

     As Robert gets older, first his mother reveals a family secret, and not long after his father reveals another. Later, tragedy strikes the family. John Carson sends Robert off to a secret place to learn his true heritage. At 16, Robert returns as a man with a new name -- Cormac Samuel O’Connor. On that day, a prophetic warning is given to the family. Danger rides the wind. Tragedy strikes the family again and Cormac leaves for America to do what is expected of him.

     Cormac goes through a lot, all of which I will not reveal simply because it would spoil the charm of the story. I can tell you this: Cormac is given immortality with a twist. He can’t leave Manhattan Island. If he does, he dies and it would be considered a form of suicide, which is against his faith. So Cromac stays on the island, watching the city develop. Witnessing the city’s growing pains from the 1700s to present day reads so well. As the centuries peel away, Hamill takes readers through the history of New York. The author’s words flow effortlessly.

     Forever is a tremendous read. Hamill fills the pages with Irish, religious, and American history in a literary fashion. His eloquent words develop into an exceptional tale. The scenes in Ireland are a credible beginning; within time, the story turns mystical as Cromac’s heritage is revealed through myths and legends and then he becomes immortal. Grounded in history and balanced with a little supernatural, Forever is undeniably unforgettable.