| Resurrecting Randi by David P. Shepherd |
| Written by Laura Romer | |
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It always has to be about some girl that changes everything in a man’s life, doesn’t it? This time, this particular girl might be a little off her rocker. Okay, maybe a lot off her rocker. With the help of the Austin-based Balios Publishing Co. and a grassroots promotion approach, Resurrecting Randi has accrued critical praise, most notably from Pulitzer Prize and Nobel Laureate winners (David Oshinsky and J.M. Coetzee). Austinites will be familiar with Shepherd’s description of downtown Austin with specific references to UT’s West Mall, homeless people adorning the streets, the Drag and the now defunct Barnes & Noble that used to reside there, and right down to the very mention of the squawking grackles.  But no matter where readers are from, Shepherd’s strength is in revealing only what is necessary at a particular time; presenting the story with mini cliffhangers and hooks as Travis see-saws between the past and present with intriguing results. Travis is a puzzling character. He is a history professor at the University of Texas and seems to have regained his stride in life. He recently authored a successful novel and is now engaged to the intelligent and business minded Kathryn Orr. Travis appears to be moving on, but is only going through the motions of life, fooling others and often himself, but not Layla Sommers. Shepherd sums up the fiery-haired Layla as “120 pounds worth of nuclear-strength distraction.” She explodes into Travis’ mundane life. He is struck by the physical resemblance between her and his now deceased daughter, Randi. After a slew of tries to distance himself from Layla’s ever increasing reliance on him, a serious encounter between the two changes their relationship and consequently, their lives forever. With no friends or family at her fragile side, Travis agrees to house the mentally unstable coed for one month before being placed in an alternate care facility. Surrounding his damaged life with damaged characters (his best friend is a crippled philosophy professor), it should then come as no surprise that Travis has more relationships—positive ones, anyway—with his adopted canine strays than actual human beings. Perhaps, the unconditional love of a slobbering fuzzy wuzzy with a soggy tennis ball in its mouth is more rewarding than the constant ups-and-downs life can bring. Life is complicated. Life is hard. And Travis Harrison knows this all too well. A change is going to come, but exactly what kind of change is uncertain all the way to the very end. Layla is an exhausting character with her constant emotional ping-ponging between highs and lows, which includes literally throwing herself at (and on top of) her befuddled host. As someone “who soared and collapsed with the turn of a phrase,” Layla can be at times incredulous. Yet, Travis’ genuine, honest reactions to such situations lend a believability and acceptance that might not otherwise have been warranted. Even in the event of an extreme circumstance, Travis’ character shines with all his simplicity, all his realness.  David Shepherd signing books at BookPeople The back cover of Resurrecting Randi poses the question “Is life worth living?” and together, Travis and Layla seek the answer. The conclusion of their search is controversial and the decision is not clear-cut. Shepherd muses “I don’t know the ending any more than you [the reader] do.” With his burgeoning success, Shepherd also donates part of his book royalties to the organizations Search Dog Foundation, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and the local Lance Armstrong Foundation. Resurrecting Randi is available locally at BookPeople, Bookstop, and online at amazon.com. |
To move forward, one man has to look back.