Vincent and Troy meet as boys on a playground and are separated by fate and the racist attitudes of the past. Dolores and Shirley interact with these men in different ways, and the twists and turns of these four lives span decades, with small decisions and actions causing repercussions into the present.
Author Pete KJ has written a novel that takes place largely in the past, yet the actions and attitudes of the characters mirror current perspectives on race and personal responsibility. He puts great care into illuminating the backgrounds and personalities of his characters, particularly Troy, who is followed from childhood in a newly-integrated public school into a painfully-incarcerated adulthood. The issues that KJ writes about in terms of race, family and love are large, but by letting his well-drawn characters drive the action the book doesn’t come off as preachy or a morality tract. The suburban environs of Seattle change as the book progresses, and the small geographic details of weather and neighborhood are frequently noted which lends a more immersive reading experience. The elementary school setting for the beginning of the book is written evocatively–its depictions of the relationships and burgeoning romantic interests of children resemble some of Stephen King’s coming-of-age novels. As the characters progress KJ finds ways to tie these beginning scenes to their adult lives in a way that is not too heavy-handed.
At some points the timelines drag, as the author spends too much time with minor inconsequential characters like a young, Hispanic escort service madam. Still, the core four voices are strong, and pages devoted to Troy and Dolores are especially well-spent. In order to serve these protagonists some of the minor antagonists become cartoonish, but the effects of the attitudes the author depicts are realistic.
Featuring a diverse cast of well-written characters, THE MAPLE LEAF provides a thought-provoking look at recent history through the lens of a changing friendship.
~IndieReader.