Did you ever have a friend who would make you do things you would never do on your own? A friend that made you act so different from your regular self that you didn't recognize yourself when you were with them?
John Chance has such a lifelong friend, Jesse Trubble, who has an unyielding zest for life that is infectious-captivating and influencing John's actions and relationships for over fifty years of their lives.
In 2021, John is in a retirement home, and to pass the time, begins to relate the story of the best friend he ever had.
By the age of eight, Johnny is motherless and his father is an alcoholic. His life is empty until he meets Jesse Trubble, a boy who is also motherless but whose father loves him and treats him and Johnny well. Together, the boys stir up adventure and trouble, which lasts a lifetime, whether it is playing cowboys, leading fugitives from justice to freedom, plotting the murder of bullies, fighting in Vietnam, or running weapons in Peru.
Can Jesse, whom others view as a "bad influence" on Johnny, mend their friendship when a rift occurs? Or will they remain estranged, unable to get past their differences?
The Bird of Time is a coming-of-age novel that spans the 1940s through the 2020s, the nostalgia of these modern times creating a backdrop for the exploits of Johnny and Jesse.
Industry Reviews
An Adventure of two Lifetimes!
I was allowed to read this novel by the author in advance of its release. I have read past works of John Isaac Jones and enjoyed them all. As a friend for decades, I know how he researches his works and with his intelligence and imagination and ability to write news, non-fiction and novels, he can make a story come alive. This is the lifelong saga of two young boys who meet early in life and become friends throughout life, even during the times they do not see one another for years. They develop an emotional bond that cannot be broken by years or age or people. When we meet Johnny he is a young child who has lost his mother and his father is there physically but absent emotionally. Johnny encounters Jesse whose mother abandoned them early on and whose father dotes on his son and wants him to have a good friend. The youngsters are free to run and romp and discover what life has to offer, both good and bad. They develop a code that only they know that will go with them through their lives. Without revealing too much, I will tell you that adventure is their goal and their lives are chock full of it. This involves attempted murder, a commune in Oregon, the Vietnam war, gun-running in Peru, wrangling horses in Montana, and last but not least, well...I won't reveal that. If you read this book, it's best to not be a skimmer. If you do, then you will miss the heart of the book. Also, it is not a work to be categorized, analyzed, cauterized or euthanized. Don't pull it apart, or try to explain it to your liking, or denounce it as the devil's work, or hold it up as 'the path to the great beyond', (read the book and you will know what this means). After all is said and done, and written, it remains a book, a good book, and an adventure that you can experience with Johnny and Jesse and never have to endure the bad side of things. I recommend it to folks who just want to have the pleasure of living in a good story. - Amazon reviewer
