Author Ron Rindo’s new novel opens with a harrowing scene — the dramatic and extraordinary birth of main character Gabriel Fisher. Gabriel weighs 18 pounds and measures 27 inches, and his unmarried mother, Rachel, dies after giving birth to him. He winds up living with his older brother, Jasper, but ultimately is raised and cared for by several residents of rural Lakota, Wisconsin.
Life & Death & Giants takes its title from an Emily Dickinson poem quoted in the epigraph:
Life, and Death, and Giants—Such as These—are still—Minor—Apparatus—Hopper ofthe Mill—Beetle at the Candle—Or a Fife’s Fame—Maintain—by Accident thatThey proclaim—
Dickinson suggests that even monumental forces are insignificant in the vast machinery of the universe, and that life is fragile and fleeting. Rindo, who taught English and creative writing at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, explores those themes to wonderful effect in this sweeping epic that offers a bizarre mishmash of Amish culture, football and, believe it or not, professional wrestling.
The novel centers on Gabriel, a modern-day giant, but it’s told through the perspectives of various townspeople. They include Hannah Fisher, Gabriel’s Amish grandmother; Thomas Kennedy, the town veterinarian who helped deliver the giant baby; Billy Walton, the local bartender; and Trey Beathard [BETH-erd], a coach who recruits Gabriel to play for his high school football team.
Even as a young child, Gabriel is something special — a gentle soul who is able to calm and communicate with animals. He also possesses extraordinary athletic talent, hitting so many home runs that he quickly advances out of his T-ball league.
He grows into a hulking figure — nearly 9 feet tall and able to throw bales of hay as if they were feathers — and his reputation grows along with him. Throughout his childhood and adolescence, his devout Amish grandparents try to hide him away from the modern world, but he’s a force that truly can’t be contained.
Rindo’s novel is marvelously constructed, with varied perspectives offering a panoramic view of Gabriel’s existence. And yet, we never hear from Gabriel himself, which only adds to the mythological tone. But this is no fairy tale. Life & Death & Giants deals with weighty, real-life stuff — family, faith, buried secrets, the price of fame, human kindness and human weakness.
The audio version of Life & Death & Giants is especially captivating, with a cast of talented narrators voicing each of the points of view. Fans of John Irving will appreciate the quirky characters and surprising plotline. And Rindo’s remarkable ending will leave you thinking about everyday miracles.
