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May 08, 2005 Monroe the backdrop for romance, time travel By Mitchell Uscher For the Times Herald-Record mtprod@aol.com The beauty of Orange County plays a big part in "Falling in the Garden," a first novel by Walter G. Klimczak. Much of the book is set in the Sugar Loaf and Monroe areas. Klimczak grew up in Monroe, and his mother still lives there. In this unique tome that blends romance and time travel, Klimczak describes the woods of the Hudson Valley. He writes, "We were fortunate enough to live on the green shore of a vast expanse of woods. Cradled in the Hudson Valley of New York State, these woods pulsed and retreated as waves against the grandeur of the Catskill Mountains. Many housing developments had sprung up over the years, but there still remained an unfathomable expanse of forest in nearly every direction." In the course of the story, the main character, Michael Sullivan, meets a mysterious woman named Ashley Haddow in a forest area called "The Meadow." As the pair get to know each other, Sullivan finds out more about Ashley – and Monroe – during a conversation. Klimczak writes: "I asked her where she lived. 'Oh, just the middle of nowhere. A town no one has ever heard of called Monroe. I shouldn't really say no one, but we're definitely far away from civilization. Please tell me you don't live in Monroe, too.' "'I do, but I never thought of it as the middle of nowhere. We have lots of things to do; we're only 20 minutes from the new movie theater in Middletown, plus there's the Woodbury Commons a few miles down Route 17.' "'Woodbury Commons? You must live in a different Monroe, Michael.' "It was so strange to hear her say my name. I said, 'It's the Monroe in Orange County, New York.' "'But it can't be. I've never heard of the Woodbury Commons. I have heard of Route 17, though. We've used it a few times when we drove to the city to pick my dad up.' Even the Times Herald-Record makes it into Klimczak's story. He writes: "I discovered (with a twinge of shock) a particular date. Beneath 'The Times Herald Record' was the date Oct. 17th 1998." Klimczak started writing stories when he was 10 and wrote a novel at age 16. He says he has always wanted to write about his hometown. "Falling in the Garden" is the first in what Klimczak calls his "Time-Front Trilogy." His next book, "This Place Only," is in the process of being completed and he plans to follow that up with a tome tentatively titled "Yesterday and Tomorrow." "I wrote 'Falling in the Garden' after my first son was born, revisiting the most magical time and place in my youth," he said. "I've had a lot of positive feedback on the book and am now working on a second and third novel that will continue the story." Klimczak now lives in Atlanta with his wife, Eileen, and two children. A graduate of the University of Georgia with a degree in English, Klimczak has had his stories published in Maine Review and Frost Heaves Magazine. He teaches while continuing to write books. * * * "Falling in the Garden" is published by iUniverse ($9.95). "Wordsmiths We Know" is a forum for books written by people with ties to the mid-Hudson, or about our communities. |
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