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Book Details:
Book Title: Tickling the Bear: How to Stay Safe in the Universe by David Wann
Category: Adult Fiction 18+, 279 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publisher: Chokecherry Press, Golden, Colorado
Release date: May 2021
Content Rating: PG13 + M: There's no offensive material but there is a tasteful, semi-comic sex scene and scene in which characters experience MDMA, a mild hallucinogenic.
Book Description:
Anthropology professor Marc Blake is on a “hero’s journey.” His challenge is to overcome a troubling medical diagnosis –a virus from a tick bite. Along the way he shares his deepest thoughts as the reader follows his courageous efforts to survive. May, an attractive Danish woman, also endures setbacks with resilience, gradually coming center stage in the story. Her husband Kai has a passion for growing herbs and healthy vegetables, marveling how gardening provides a sense of purpose, good health, direct contact with nature, and companionship. Marc’s niece, a natural beauty and ex-model, offers readers a comical, on-again, off-again romantic episode with a Silicon Valley genius she fears might outshine her. Will she prove to be his equal?
Quirky humor injects both lightness and conflict into a 30-year marriage. A six-year old’s “best summer ever” is a reminder that life’s an absolute miracle. Collectively this extended family contests a widespread belief that life is happening to us - that we are passive consumers. On the contrary, each character in this upbeat book is actively self-guided, perfecting their passions and offering generous support to family and friends.
Though author David Wann has previously written non-fiction books about sensible, sustainable lifestyles, in his first-novel these themes are woven right into a compelling story. “Our lives don’t look much different than most Americans,” the characters might say. “Really, we are not ‘doing without,’ more like doing within.” Kai enjoys investing in regional businesses, and also loves to travel effortlessly on Denver’s bike paths. Meatless Mondays or grilled-salmon Sundays are a great way for the outgoing May to bring friends together for active conversation. Each character would insist that kindness and gratitude are encoded in our genes and are far more powerful than anger. In a world that’s currently so full of disruption and confusion, they offer both a sense of direction and grounded hope.
Anthropology professor Marc Blake is on a “hero’s journey.” His challenge is to overcome a troubling medical diagnosis –a virus from a tick bite. Along the way he shares his deepest thoughts as the reader follows his courageous efforts to survive. May, an attractive Danish woman, also endures setbacks with resilience, gradually coming center stage in the story. Her husband Kai has a passion for growing herbs and healthy vegetables, marveling how gardening provides a sense of purpose, good health, direct contact with nature, and companionship. Marc’s niece, a natural beauty and ex-model, offers readers a comical, on-again, off-again romantic episode with a Silicon Valley genius she fears might outshine her. Will she prove to be his equal?
Quirky humor injects both lightness and conflict into a 30-year marriage. A six-year old’s “best summer ever” is a reminder that life’s an absolute miracle. Collectively this extended family contests a widespread belief that life is happening to us - that we are passive consumers. On the contrary, each character in this upbeat book is actively self-guided, perfecting their passions and offering generous support to family and friends.
Though author David Wann has previously written non-fiction books about sensible, sustainable lifestyles, in his first-novel these themes are woven right into a compelling story. “Our lives don’t look much different than most Americans,” the characters might say. “Really, we are not ‘doing without,’ more like doing within.” Kai enjoys investing in regional businesses, and also loves to travel effortlessly on Denver’s bike paths. Meatless Mondays or grilled-salmon Sundays are a great way for the outgoing May to bring friends together for active conversation. Each character would insist that kindness and gratitude are encoded in our genes and are far more powerful than anger. In a world that’s currently so full of disruption and confusion, they offer both a sense of direction and grounded hope.
Buy the Book:
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add to goodreads
Boulder Book Store ~ Amazon.com
Amazon UK ~ B&N ~ BAM ~ IndieBound
The Book Depository ~ Waterstones
add to goodreads
Tickling The Bear is an unusual novel which I found to be a rewarding read and a thought-provoking one too. I thought, from the synopsis, that it would be focused on the medical aspects of Marc's search for a cure for the virus he caught from a tick bite. My partner suffered such a bite a couple of summers ago, albeit not from a rare tick such as in Marc's case, but it was still a worrying few months undergoing treatment and then waiting for the all clear. In Tickling The Bear, we do follow some of this aspect of the storyline, but more central to the tale is Marc's attempts to come to terms with his mortality. He feels that he may not have much time left so he seeks to find out what is really important to him.
The story encompasses several deep conversations with various friends and family, some of which did rather slow the novel's pace too much for my tastes although I could understand why Wann would want his characters to indulge in these discussions. As a counterpoint, Marc also succumbs to temptation in having a one night stand with a former student! I appreciated Wann's depictions of gardening and herbalism which run as a theme throughout Tickling The Bear. In today's time-poor societies, actions such as creating gardens and growing one's own food from the earth seem almost rebellious. In understand that Wann has considerable expertise in this area and his insights and love of gardening shone through for me.
Overall Tickling The Bear was perhaps too masculine a novel for me to really love, but I did enjoy the read and came away from the story with a number of practical ideas to try out as well as philosophical ideas to ponder. I would recommend this book to readers who are at a life crossroads or who are uncertain of their future direction.
David Wann has been a self-acknowledged author since second grade. He's written hundreds of articles and columns; ten books - one a best seller; and produced five TV documentaries viewed by 20 million. He's lived in a cooperative neighborhood (cohousing) for 26 years where he has been the organic gardener for 27 households. He's an amateur musician and the proud father of two. His greatest ambition is to make a difference in a world that urgently requires "all hands on deck." His books include Affluenza; Biologic; Superbia; Simple Prosperity; The Zen of Gardening; The New Normal, Reinventing Community and others.
connect with the author: website ~ twitter ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ goodreads
Tour Schedule:
Jan 4 – Cover Lover Book Review – book review / giveaway
Jan 5 – @twilight_reader
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Jan 6 – Rockin'
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Jan 7 – Literary Flits
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Jan 10 – Kam's Place
– book review / author interview
Jan 11 – Locks,
Hooks and Books – book review / author interview / giveaway
Jan 12 –Stephanie Jane
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Jan 12 - Books
for Books - book review
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Corner News and Reviews – book review / giveaway
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of Joy – book review / author interview / giveaway
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are a Blessing - book review / guest post / giveaway
Jan 17 - Pick a Good Book
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Sounds like a great read.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds really good.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing, this sounds great
ReplyDeleteI am excited to read this. I love all I have read so far.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry if I comment twice, computer glitch! David, Tickling the Bear sounds like an interesting and heartfelt read and I like the cover! Good luck with your book and I hope the tour was a success! Thanks for sharing it with me! Thanks, Literary Flits, for sharing your review! Have an awesome week!
ReplyDelete