Matt is a free spirit. Living his own life the way he wishes; wading through his own business skillfully. He is a fisherman, making a living by taking people out fishing on the river he knows like the back of his hand, and by selling or trading the result of his own trips up and down the river.
Lou Gocek's Swerving tells Matt's story, his habits, his unusual quotidian and different life style. The reader follows him and his nephew Paul, going through crazy adventures on the river.
Reading Lou Gocek's work will teach you a lot about different river fishes, about fishing techniques and how to react during extreme situations. Swerving is a realistic novel which also deals with actual facts such as the devastating attacks of lampreys in the Great Lakes.
The reader will also dive into a great network of very interesting relationships, a nephew without a father and his uncle; love affairs altered by human flaws such as addictions, and trusted friends. It is very true to life.
This novel is so vividly described and realistically presented that unless the author did an extraordinary amount of research; he had spent a great deal of time in outdoor settings. Lou Gocek's knowledge of river life and his unflinching descriptions of nature will move the reader. You don't need to be keen on fishing to appreciate it but if it's one of your passions you will be ecstatic.
Swerving is an amazing trip into the wild country side, brimming with life.
