The Boys Who Danced with the Moon

Canadian author Mark Paul Oleksiw earned his degree from McGill University and began his writing career with this fine coming of age novel THE BOYS WHO DANCED WITH THE MOON that reflects his fascination with offbeat characters, hip bands and their music, and the challenges of growing up and the search for identity. Mark has subsequently published MUNCHING ON THE SUN. He lives in Montreal.Reflecting his love for music Mark opens his tale with an Overture that probes the tragedy of a boy’s drowning and the thoughts of one Dr. Eva Gardner – ‘Her training taught her that the true horror was not the sight of bloody or torn bodies. In her world, horror was measured in the number of tears in a teenage soul.’ And gradually, in exquisitely lyrical prose, the seed of the story blossoms as we discover that three boys were dancing ‘neath the moon – one drowned, one near drowned, and one terrified to face the experience just visited…Kiran Wells – whose story this immensely involving book is.Briefly, the plot unravels as follows: ‘Kiran Wells, a mid-30’s professional living on the West Coast, thought he was safe until an anonymous letter arrives from his hometown. Its only contents- an old newspaper clipping about a drowning twenty years earlier. Leaving career and friends behind, Kiran returns to the place of his youth to find the conjurer of his past. Kiran is a quiet and shy teenager with a taste for alternative music growing up in a suburban northern town during the mid-80's. The arrival of two students, the confident and rebellious Marius and the naive, cloak-wearing Moony, awaken Kiran. On the eve of graduation, fate turns the volume off in Kiran’s world and his memory fades to black. Returning to his hometown, Kiran is forced to confront the demons that haunt him. His future depends on whatever hope he has left and the life or death decision he must ultimately make.’Related in near poetic style, this story signals the arrival of a very fine author, one who not only spins an excellent coming of age experience but also tells it in memorable, yes, quotable, lines on every page. Atmospheric, sensitive and involving, THE BOYS WHO DANCED WITH THE MOON lingers in the mind long after the book is finished. Having opened with an Overture, the book closes with an Epilogue that is a fine poem. Mark Paul Oleksiw is an important new writer on the literary scene. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, March 19

It took me FOREVER to get past page 100 for two reasons: 1) the author apparently heard that a book (or at least it's author) is judged by the number of metaphors and similes he can get into his novel, regardless of whether the subject of each has any relevance in the storyline whatsoever, and has also pledged that not only will he never ever end a sentence with a preposition no matter how awkward it gets, nor will he permit his characters to speak in such a manner; and, 2) the protagonist (early 40's, tragic past at teenage which he fled and has PTSD so forgot much about) has already been manipulated into going back to his childhood home, going to a restaurant, conveniently blacking out, and being taken home by a 20-something psych student (who is obviously the manipulator or in association with), who lives conveniently next to the place his early tragedy took place. This chick is too young to have been born when his tragedy occurred (or so we are told), so must obviously be associated with the tragedy players somehow. I think I could get past one thing or the other (either the contrived storyline or the "I must be a contemporary Bronte sister" writing) but the two together make it very hard to read more than a few pages at a time. Instead of being a book you can't put down, it's one I just can't take for very long. Suddenly in pages 100-200 you are thrust without transition into the protagonist's past, arriving the first day of his junior year of high school through his senior year and it's almost as if someone else is writing the book. It's actually enjoyable to read (excepted for the editing mistakes.) Then about page 200, the young psych student opens the door and your back in the present day for the rest of the book. (Well, the end of the memories are revealed here.) In the end, the story of the protagonist youth is worth reading, the current day outcomes are fine, and the book resolves well.

I truly enjoyed reading this book. It is a wonderful tale of coming of age, coming to terms, and remembering the joys of first love, great friends and youth. It's been a long time since I've read an author whose opening paragraph grabs your attention and keeps you engaged until the last sentence.This coming of age story, so wonderfully written and engaging, deserves to be remembered as a great coming of age story next to Salinger's "The Catcher in the Rye" and John Knowles' "A Separate Peace".I look forward to reading Mark Paul Oleksiw's other and future works.

After twenty years of running, Kiran Wells past finally catches up with him in The Boys Who Danced With The Moon, by Mark Paul Oleksiw. His success in business is because of a passion to forget instead of a thirst for advancement. But when letters arrive from a mysterious person, driving him back to where his accident happened, he realizes he must stop running. The worst part about that fateful night dancing by the river, is he can’t remember what happened. The Boys Who Danced With The Moon, by Mark Paul Oleksiw, is an addictive coming of age suspense. As Kiran Wells struggles with psychological issues resulting from a near drowning, the author slowly unfolds the events that led up to that fateful night. This story is about teenagers discovering their boundaries in life, while living with their regrets as they age. It requires forgiveness and closure for healing, which will touch the reader’s heart as they follow Kiran through his memories to his present time. This novel walks the reader through a life changing experience which will stir them to their core.

What is it about would-be creative writers in the States? There was the clumsy Ana Steele who decides to shack up with a nude, piano-playing sadist (oh, I forgot, he's also a hugely successful businessman and altruist), and here we have the unlikeable and immature Kiran whose poetry is as uncomfortable as his friendship shallow. The talentless Kiran is our hero trampling through people's lives in adolescence, fleeing with a Dark Secret, only to continue to treat everyone with remarkable indifference as he stumbles his way back to his roots to uncover The Truth which he'd apparently suppressed in the intervening years whilst remaining celibate (or frigid perhaps?) and gloomily hiding inexplicably as some kind of financial whiz kid. Move aside, Kiran, your supporting cast are all (apart from the one-dimensional Rob, oh and Ms Winters, the dull love interest) potentially more interesting. I say potentially because we're not allowed to get to know them outside the superficial gaze of friend Kiran. There's the complex and profoundly caring Avery, cast up like so much flotsam on a beach to be rescued by Kiran, and then left in California with dull old Rob, and who doesn't even get a thumbs up on facebook from our hero when all turns out amazingly well (I think that's what it was meant to be); the would-be hellraiser, implausibly strong and cool Marius, whose troubled domestic situation is frustratingly never explored and whose loyalty is thrown back in his face, sending him off to the military and a convenient dose of PTSD, mental health and substance abuse; and the eccentric Moony (or Andrew to his family) who wafts around in Jesuit robes for some inexplicable reason (apart from its apparent family heirloom provenance), scoring impressive grade averages and swift of foot, despite flowing vestment and fancy-filled head. I wanted to know more about them and less about the self-possessed Kiran. Surely each one of them would have seen through our pal, Kiran, gently advising him to focus on woodwork or something else and give up his verse before someone gets hurt through the assault on the English language? The prose is laboured, the imagery at best clichéd, and the set pieces set (in treacle); the opening scene remarkably poorly written; and the dialogue stilted; the ending was all too convenient, leaving the potentially more interesting characters hanging while Kiran symbolically lets go of his past (via a satchel that wasn't even technically his to make a gesture with in the first place).I bought it when faced with a long train journey, and only finished it because of the replacement bus service on the return leg. I shall be looking out of the window and counting yellow cars in future. And I’ll have to be more careful with Recommendations. Sorry - not for me.

What an enjoyable read! I don’t want to give much away other than to acknowledge what well thought out characters Mr. Oleksiw has developed. The characters were very relevent to both my age group mid 50’s as well as my younger sons age group. Well done Mark!

The Boys Who Danced With The Moon is a must read for anyone who enjoys a great story loaded with memorable and endearing characters. At its core, it is a story of teenage friendship and love. i could not stop reading it and got easily hooked into Kiran's journey back to his hometown to find who sent him those letters. The final chapters were emotional and unforgetable. A great Canadian novel. A book that adults and teenagers would enjoy and identify with. i won't forget Moony!

What a fantastic read! Exciting characters and a gripping story that had me turning the pages sometimes a little too quickly because I was so intrigued to see what was coming next.