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(Date Posted:05/09/2008 19:51:44)
I grew up with the name Donald Harington floating around my house. I was born in south Arkansas and moved to Northwest Arkansas as a teenager. My parents passed his books back and forth and declared him one of their favorite authors. I was aware that he was a local author and, though that in itself intrigued me, I assumed that since my parents were fans I would not be. After I graduated college, my parents decided to down-size and move outside the "hustle and bustle" of NWA. After months and months of searching, they found the perfect retreat in Drakes Creek, AR (a.k.a. Stay More). One lazy weekend at their new house, I was browsing the bookshelves for my next adventure. I came across Mr. Harington's Choiring of the Trees and decided to give it a shot. Once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down. The thought of this adventure/love story occuring across the street and through the field was almost more than I could stand--I drove around looking for Nail's cave. While the setting alone was exciting enough, the plot was incredible. The accuracy of dialect was so compelling that I found myself reading (and re-reading) half of the book aloud. I now hold all other books to that standard; I have yet to find another book that has the local authenticity of Choiring of the Trees. It reminds me so much of home that it has traveled all over Europe and to my new home, Chicago, with me. I have also read Mr. Harington's Ekaterina and Architecture and I look forward to discovering all of his other adventures.
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