Two Novels Reviewed

Reviews completed on my two novels: 

Praise for Too Many Stones

IndieReader 5 Star Rating: "Rodney Nelsestuen's TOO MANY STONES is an emotionally powerful novel... ...A luminous pastoral novel about how a young teen's sexual awakening and rape drastically change her life and those of everyone close to her... ...TOO MANY STONES stretches from the Great Depression to the Vietnam War, but the challenges it presents are timeless... …sure to encourage deep conversation… …It deserves to be discovered and discussed on many levels." ~Alicia Rudnicki for IndieReader. March 2024. Reviews Rodney Nelsestuen | IndieReader

Readers’ Favorite 5 Star Rating: “…recommend Too Many Stones for its immense emotional depth and moving storytelling, making it a compelling read that lingers long after the final page. 

     Author Rodney Nelsestuen utilizes a keen sense of narrative balance and sensibility to craft an emotionally rich novel…” where “…the narration is bold but compassionate and careful in how it tells the darker parts of the tale, capturing the beauty and hardship of rural life with events poignant and relatable... highlighting the author’s talent for emotionally charged, atmospheric description that carries the weight of future consequences. The novel left me contemplating the incredible endurance we have as people and the importance of embracing both success and failure as integral parts of a well-lived life.” K.C. Finn. August 2024.

Praise for Quiet Desperation 

Kirkus Reviews. “A deeply thoughtful drama that never condescends with easy moralizing.” 

     “Winston Williamsen III never wanted to be a lawyer… a man exhausted by sadness and remorse, his self-worth all but forfeited… crushed under the weight of a lifetime of bad choices… drawn with considerable nuance Winston’s darkness is artfully depicted by the author; he’s not an unabashed nihilist… and the reader cannot help but wonder, at the conclusion of this powerful tale, if he even experiences hope. Nelsestuen has no interest, thankfully, in bandying about any facile answers or neatly contrived denouements. This is a genuinely complex tale, one that confronts, with impressive verisimilitude, the complexity of moral affairs." -Kirkus Reviews March 2024. QUIET DESPERATION | Kirkus Reviews 

IndieReader 4 Star Rating: "Author Rodney Nelsestuen has created a memorable central character who, for all of his many flaws, will eventually garner some sympathy from even the most hard-hearted reader. 

     QUIET DESPERATION is a slim novella written in the first person and charting the disgruntled interior life of its protagonist, Winston Williamson, a reluctant lawyer and perpetual cynic. Williamson's inner emotional turbulence is compelling..." his "ultimate self-reckoning… ending (though intriguingly inconclusive) centers Williamson's moment of truth and rewards the reader's patience." - Kent Lane for Indie Reader. March 2024. Reviews Rodney Nelsestuen | IndieReader

Readers’ Favorite 5 Star Review. In Quiet Desperation, Rodney Nelsestuen’s narrative inspires the reader to a reflective and contemplative mood with an enhanced appreciation of life’s complexities. Winston Williamsen finds himself in a dark period of life… As he navigates these challenges, he becomes increasingly aware of his… failings… Winston faces a moment of profound decision, questioning how much more he can bear. Nelsestuen underscores the quiet struggles that many of us face in our lives. The author crafted a deeply touching story shedding light on the emotional and physical impact we experience but rarely express. I felt a deep sense of compassion for Winston, rooting for him as I recognized that, at some point in life, we all face overwhelming challenges and do our best to cope with them…” in “…a well-developed plot and the detail and depth with which each character was described, offering readers an insight into their essence, motivations, and the role they played in Winston’s life. I would recommend this book to readers who are drawn to stories that offer no easy answers but present life’s complexities thoughtfully and clearly. August 2024