Title: Through the Dark Looking Glass
Author: Garret Godwin
ISBN: 9781609110437
Publisher: Authors Tranquillity Press
Pages: 280
Genre: Literary Fiction
Reviewed by: Manik Chaturmutha
Hollywood Book Reviews
Garret Godwin’s Through the Dark Looking Glass is an excellent book that follows the life of Ira Ellingsworth, a recently divorced man who has lost everything he had – his dream life, dream house, and wife. He had to move from an affluent neighbourhood to a poor one and could focus only on work to continue his life.
As an assistant district attorney, Ira works on various cases for his boss, Fred Rollins, an evangelical Christian, and arch-conservative. He has to fight against the Patriot Act, the Military Commissions Act of 2006, and the Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Act of 2007. Ira slowly realizes this is not the fate he desires. He is also persuaded to join a Christian organization, which he later discovers to be hypocritical in its ideals. Ira and his friend Carol Langley try to fight against these forces but quickly find they are outmatched. Seeking a new path, Ira and Carol are hired by Roberto Sanchez, and they flourish as civil rights lawyers. Ira Ellingsworth sets on a new path to fight against everything his former boss Fred Rollins stood for, and he begins to restore justice to its former glory. He breaks away from the power-obsessed neo-conservative culture and sees the country heading on a new path.
The book goes into detail about the violence in America and the politics of the country. The book progresses remarkably, with the main character learning about moral and ethical values regarding social work and using those to look at the world from a different perspective. For example, even though the main character goes through many misfortunes, he keeps working to make the world a better place, and sees the power in people and good deeds. He gets out of his sheltered life and sees the world for what it is. Throughout the book, the main character’s learning arcs enlighten the readers about the problems in society. The author maintains a steady pace as the story progresses. The events are presented to the reader in an orderly manner. When there is a flashback, or someone recollects the past, it is excellently connected to the present scenario.
The book falls into the category of literary realism. It talks about the dark side of our society and how people navigate their lives when faced with misfortunes. It is recommended for adults, as the book reflects human life, religious sentiments, and social issues and addresses other political topics people come to understand through age and experience. It is a book which will leave an indelible memory in all readers.