Archer's Voice – Mia Sheridan

 

When Bree Prescott arrives in the sleepy, lakeside town of Pelion, Maine, she hopes against hope that this is the place where she will finally find the peace she so desperately seeks. On her first day there, her life collides with Archer Hale, an isolated man who holds a secret agony of his own. A man no one else sees.
Archer's Voice is the story of a woman chained to the memory of one horrifying night and the man whose love is the key to her freedom. It is the story of a silent man who lives with an excruciating wound and the woman who helps him find his voice. It is the story of suffering, fate, and the transformative power of love. 

    

    I have spent a considerable amount of time trying to decide on the right book with which to start my journey through the fascinating world of reviews. And I have lost countless moments going through my reading lists, struggling to find the most suitable one of them all. I even wanted to give up on the idea of sharing anything with you, but then, out of the blue, I remembered her — that her. I think we all probably know what I'm talking about all too well, don't we? That one book we could read over and over again without getting bored. The one that caused our hearts to flutter from the very first word we've read and that, after shedding thousands and thousands of tears, brought a smile on our faces and hope in our hearts. The one we'd give anything to read again for the very first time. Our favorite book. 
    Or, in my case, "Archer's voice". Always "Archer's Voice". 
    I discovered it somewhere around my second or third year of college when, in dire need of a break, I was scouring the internet for that one piece of literature that would sweeten my evenings and trill my heart as only a romantic story could. It was love at first sight or, perhaps better said, at first read as the book caught my attention right from the description and I picked it up without hesitation. Everything after that is history. A story whose pages flew by like a dandelion's puff in the air — timidly, softly, and bearing in a hint of hope. 
    After a stormy night robs her of her happiness, leaving behind grief and nightmares, Bree Prescott arrives in Pelion, a small tourist town in Maine, hoping to finally find her well-deserved peace. As she settles into her new lakeside home and tries to get her life in some semblance of order, fate introduces her to Archer Hale, a lonely and mysterious young man who carries an unspeakable sorrow in his soul. Out of curiosity, Bree starts asking people around about him and is astonished to learn that the man is mute. Still, his disability and everyone's opinions of him are not a reason good enough for her to leave him alone, but only reinforce her decision to get to know him better. 

“Dandelion seeds were scattered across the glass, and as a light breeze blew, 

the fluffy ends were caught in the moving air and danced delicately off my windshield

as they took flight, moving away from me, in the direction the man had gone. ”

    Her wish is granted shortly afterwards as, although Archer is reluctant towards the newcomer because of his unfamiliarity with people, the two manage to strike up a beautiful friendship that slowly blossoms into something more. Haunted by their own tragic pasts, the two eventually open up through sign language, healing the pain in their souls, and find love where they least expect it — in two broken hearts that somehow manage to heal each other and find light through the darkness again. Then, everything seemed to flow smoothly. As smoothly as the lives of two characters that were still shadowed by evil could go. But I won't tell you more about the enemy, not when I find them to be completely hideous, and I probably wouldn't finish writing the review if I were to pay any attention to them. I'll let you discover the bad guys by reading the book. 

“Bad things  don't happen to people because they deserve for them to happen. 

It just doesn't work that way. It's just...life.  And no matter who we are, 

we have to take the hand we're dealt, crappy though it may be, and try our

very best to move forward anyway, to love anyway, to have hope anyway... 

to have faith that there's a purpose to the journey we're on."

    As for the two main characters, I'm afraid I do not know where I should start. There are countless things to say, but my words seem to have slipped away right when I needed them most. I will, however, endeavour to put some of my thoughts in order, enough for you to get an idea and understand what lies ahead. 

“Maybe there was no right or wrong, no black or white, only a thousand shades 

of gray when it came to pain and what we each held ourselves responsible for.”

    To this day, years after I've found the book, Bree Prescott has remained one of the strongest heroines I've ever had the chance to read about. Although she's been through a traumatic experience that could leave a permanent scar on anyone, Bree does her best not to get trapped in her own personal nightmare and move on. At the same time, what happened to her did not turn her into a ruthless, cold person, but she remained the same kind-hearted girl, always attentive and caring towards those around her, which got me thrilled. What I appreciated most about her, however, was the demeanor she showed towards Archer. I appreciated that she saw him when so many others refused to, and that she gave him a chance. I appreciated that she was there for him and that she believed in him in a way those who should have didn't in a lifetime. And I appreciated that she loved him the way he deserved, without judgement or fear, as he should have been from the beginning. 

“I'm here for you. I'm here because of you. I'm here because you saw me, 

not just with your eyes, but with your heart. I'm here because you wanted to know

what I had to say and because you were right...everyone does need friends.”

    And Archer. My dear, sweet Archer. My quiet, sad boy who stole my heart from the very first words and made me shed bitter tears at the knowledge of all the wrongs that were done to him. The one who has been and will always remain my favorite male character, no matter how many others will come along. The one with the most beautiful and gentle voice of all. His story, a tragedy in the truest sense of the word for me, struck me to the core and shattered my soul into pieces that I could hardly put back together by the end of the book. I've suffered with him and learned how to love and fight fiercely. I've seen the world through his eyes, with all the good and the bad he had to live through, and I've found the power to navigate its darkness. And I've hated everything, though Archer was never the one to hate. I've hated this world's lack of mercy and the mean people who live in it. For yes, such were those who should have been by his side. Mean and merciless from the first to last. His uncle. Travis. Victoria. Even the entire small town that assumed the worst and abandoned him. They've all reminded me that even family or so-called loved ones, people who are meant to be there and protect you, can be monsters. 
    I know it sounds harsh, but I will not change my opinion of them. It's impossible.
    Not when an innocent child has suffered because of them. 

“I realized that people's reactions had more to do with them, 

more to do with who they were, than anything about me."

    Still, despite them, Archer proved to be strong, though I'm afraid "strong" is perhaps an understatement when it comes to describing him. Against all odds, he had opened his heart to the unknown and let love enter through the cracks in his soul. And he had found his voice. One of the most beautiful voices I've ever heard, because it was his. And then everything was fine. At least for a little while. 

 “How do you teach a man who has lost everything, not to fear it happening again?”

    Before I started writing this review, I intended to tell you countless details about Bree and Archer's relationship, so that you can get an idea about what to expect. Today, with my laptop in front of me and so much to be written, I declare myself defeated. I have no idea what to start with, not when I'm afraid I won't be able to do them justice. But what I can certainly say is that you have nothing to lose by giving the book and their love story a chance. 

    Why, I hear you asking? 

  Because both are special, with imperfections and without. Both of them went through fierce thunderstorms before finally reaching the sun. And both discovered love when they least expected it, or perhaps even thought it was impossible. I even like to believe that it was the hand of destiny that brought them together, as I've already mentioned, although that may sound strange to some of you. Or maybe just someone up there, in the form of a guardian angel, who wanted them to find each other and fall in love. Call it whatever you want. All I can do, as a humble reader, is ask you to give them a chance. You won't regret it. 

    For he calmed the torment in her soul, and she helped him find his voice. And that's the most beautiful thing of all. 

“I didn't know enough to dream you, Bree, but somehow you came true anyway. 

How did that happen?” He rubbed his nose along mine, pausing and then pulling back again. „Who read my mind and knew exactly what I wanted, even when I didn't?”

    There would be plenty more to say, but part of me feels like I must let you discover everything on your own. All I can add is that no book has ever made me cry as hard as this one did. And there are no characters that have inspired me so much and taught me important lessons every step of the way. I will always carry them in my heart and I shall reread them every chance I get, exactly as they deserve—with undying longing and that one feeling of finally being home again. Because yes, somehow I feel at home with them even though, at the end of the day, they are just words on paper. I find it hard not to. 

    Thank you, Mia Sheridan, for making me feel so much! And, most of all, thank you Bree and Archer for showing me that no chasm is unbridgeable and that every person has a voice. I needed that. 

Hello there! Thank you so much for stopping by. Because I want to improve my English, I decided to translate my reviews and share them with you. Feel free to draw my attention to any typos you may well find along the way. My only wish is that you do it in a respectful way, as my translation are still far from perfect and that's why I'm so eager to learn. In other words, thank you for giving my reviews a chance. I hope you like it!