This beautifully written novel explores the emotional pain and damage inflicted on a writer and his relationship with the woman he loves as she struggles with manic-depression. Through almost ten years of hardship he loves and cares for her with unwavering devotion, but when she marries another man he becomes a recluse on his sailboat, waiting for a chance to be together again in this or any world. It would be reasonable to think that a solid familiarity with DeMott's body of work would prepare a reader for the depth, grace, honesty and devotion of Loving Zelda, since DeMott's protagonists are always wonderfully drawn people of strong convictions and deep passions. But DeMott outdoes himself in Loving Zelda by creating a literary story of such selfless love, hope, commitment, and joy that this wonderful little book almost needs to be savored in the small doses prompted by the need for an emotional recess, and perhaps Kleenex. DeMott is best known for his thrillers. Some of those are violent. But to read Loving Zelda is to discover a totally different side of DeMott, a beautiful, tender and vulnerable side that, according to interviews, DeMott never plans to expose again.
About the Author: Wes DeMott was born in Oregon in 1952, but moved soon afterward to Guam. His father, a Navy man who later became a defense contractor, moved the family frequently, instilling in Wes a love of travel and new places. He calls both Virginia and Florida home, although Panama is only a notch away from being added to that list. An accomplished surfer, diver, and deep-sea fisherman, Wes shows his love of the ocean in many of his books, with boats and adventures-at-sea popping up frequently. A long-distance cruiser with thousands of nautical miles on his own vessels, it was not surprising that Wes related the experience of being rescued off Cuba in 2011 to a short scene he'd written in a book. Over the past dozen years Wes has garnered international acclaim for his novels about prisoners of war, the FBI, military assassins, and spies. In Loving Zelda he wrote about hope and loss and the chance to change our lives if we're fearless enough to try. Tortuga Gold reflects a fun new chapter in Wes's own life as he's joined in his adventures by his beautiful Belgian wife, Sabine, a human rights/refugee lawyer who spent seven of her fifteen years with the United Nations living in Africa, including full-time residency in the war zones of Rwanda, Burundi, and the Congo during their bloody genocides. Loving Zelda, is a complete departure from the action / thrillers of his past and shows his emotional side. Other books by Wes DeMott: The Fund, Walking K, Heat Sync, The Typhoon Sanction, and Tortuga Gold. All books available in e-book format and in print.