Yet, as the cards he carries with him explain, he is of normal intelligence. Howard lives in a house that he has inherited from his parents, and he rents out a few rooms to a couple of house painters and a soup chef who also uses the kitchen for her business. The four of them live together yet they all live in their own separate worlds. At first Ryan is uncommunicative too, but slowly he becomes the impetus for all the people living in the house to come together and form a new kind of family.
More importantly, Howard learns that there can be more to a damaged life than he ever dreamed possible. King has created a legacy with his eloquent, sparse prose and his unforgettable characters.
The protagonist is someone who, if the author were less skilled, might evoke pity. But this book works, and works well.
It tells the story of a man who has lost almost all ability to communicate. After spending only a couple weeks in Vietnam years ago, Howard Kapostash was severely brain-injured and has spent his time since in a peculiar world. He does not speak, lacks the ability to use alternatives such as writing or signing, and has major trouble reading. All my gripes about the ending are minor; this is a fluid story, a stunning debut from someone who so totally grasps the issues his protagonist lives with.
Howard is percent real to me. This is a powerhouse of a book and it needs to be read. Allegedly forged by the seventh generation grandson of Adam, the Lance has been possessed by powerful men β both good and evil β until the present time. Now the Forces of Evil intend to use the ancient relic to launch the Hades Project and bring humankind to its knees. When Cotton returns to Kentucky Lindsay and Tera have both disappeared leaving behind some very disturbing evidence. Cotton calls in her friend, Cardinal John Tyler, for help.
