The Beginning

The Cradle of the Raptor, Book One

By: T.L. Hershey

Narrated by: Alan Taylor

Length: 7 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

Life could be beautiful and idyllic on the little Raptor farm nestled among the shady green forests and sunny meadows of the Big Timber Indian Reservation. But strange and powerful forces were tearing the tiny mission church apart at the seams. Tough and ruggedly handsome Carl Raptor with his coldly competent wife, Charlotte, were raising their small sons in this remote place where the passions and stresses were beyond Carl’s ability to cope.

For the Raptor boys, the exhilarating freedom of exploring thousands of acres of wild, game-rich reservation land and thundering their horses down gravel and dirt logging roads would instantly evaporate when their father lost all control and used them to work off his white hot fits of rage. The two oldest sons seemed able to cope, but Michael, the third son, lived in near-constant fear.

The beatings and torments increased as Carl’s stress levels rose, and while the welts and bruises on their small bodies healed fairly quickly, the emotional and psychological scarring of Michael’s soul would take many years to heal. This is his story.

©2019 Timothy Graber (P)2020 Matthew Graber

Well written story

A constantly engaging and courageous story, some parts must have been difficult to write and put down into words. Well worth it.

Intense

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

I listened to this in one day. It was a book that I could not pause. I was frustrated with the mother to allow so much to happen to her children. The only time she stood up for anyone was when she stood up for herself....I disliked this aspect of the story. However, this was well written and the narrator was spot-on. As soon as I finished this, I went looking for book number 2. Unfortunately, it is not out yet. This is an intense book about familial abuse and centers a lot on one character, Michael.

A Life Of Adventure Carefully Woven Among Pain

This story was a difficult listen.... yet one that was hard to pause as well. It follows the life of Michael Raptor and the abuse he suffered as a child. Among the adventures he shared with his brothers, he also endured a lot of pain and abuse, some physical, some emotional, some verbal. Redemption and healing eventually finds Michael, but not without leaving it's scars on his life.

Fantastic Coming-of-Age Story

Wow, so much to think on here. The Cradle of the Raptor simultaneously touches on the joys of childhood, the brutality of a father with deep-seated anger issues, the mental anguish that abuse brings, and life as a Mennonite boy, all weaved through the perspective of the Raptor family.

We get a front-row seat to the life of Michael Raptor, and follow his family's story from his earliest memories through the age of 13. This book made me happy, angry, sad, and reflective all at once. It's truly a coming-of-age tale, one that will pull at your heart strings and show you a picture of the reality of impoverished farm life in the mid-1900s.

The crux of the book revolves around Carl Raptor, a physically abusive father who takes his anger out on his 3 sons. Although I can't relate to having an abusive father, it gave me insight into what a toll that can take on the mind of a young boy. This is an insightful, deeply-moving book, and not for the faint of heart. I'm looking forward to the next book already.