Chance's Way by Nancy M.Bell

       I admire Ms. Bell for taking me on Chance’s journey to find his way in in life. 

No matter how hard he tried Chance could never please his abusive father, whose criminal activity resulted in a jail sentence and destroyed Chance’s friendship with Laurel. Although her parents forgave him, and want to help Chance, couldn’t forgive himself to putting Laurel in danger, which gave his father an opportunity to kidnap her. At eighteen Chance must manage the ranch, which has been in his family for generations, that his father has bankrupted, and graduate from high school. Unable to cope with his emotions he can’t cope without alcohol. To make matters worse his mother moves into town with his sister instead of helping him. Desperate to hang onto the ranch, Chance competes in rodeos to win money which will go into the bank and be swallowed up by expenses. He knows he must stop overcome posttraumatic- stress and stop drinking, but how? The young man is reluctant to accept help because he believes; “A real man, works out his own shit without some prissy do gooder telllin’ him what’s what.” 

I enjoyed Ms. Bell’s descriptions of the landscape, for example: “The western horizon was brilliant with orange-gold light fading to yellow as it reached the translucent blue-black of the deepening night.” And I was fascinated by her description of Chance’s participation in rodeos. 

This novel won’t disappoint you. 

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