Don't Let the Wind Catch You

By: Aaron Paul Lazar

Narrated by: Erik Synnestvedt

When young Gus LeGarde befriends a cranky old hermit in the woods who speaks to an Oneida Indian spirit named Penaki, he wonders if the man is nuts. But when Penni rattles tin cups, draws on dusty mirrors, and flips book pages, pestering them to find evidence to avenge her past and free her from earthly bondage, things change.

What Gus doesn'tunderstand is why his mother hates Tully. His relentless digging reveals a hint of scandal about Tully and Gus' maternal grandfather, Marlowe Wright. Can his natural compassion help him accept the not-so-normal facts about Tully and Marlowe?

On horseback, Gus and his friends ride through woods overlooking Conesus Lake, following Penni's trail to an abandoned house reportedly infected with the deadly Genesee Valley Fever from the 1700s. Unafraid, they enter and make anastounding find that could rewrite history.

Gus summons courage beyond his years in this poignant and powerful telling of the sultry summer of 1965.

The author's alternate suggested listening order for the LeGarde Mysteries series:

1. Double Forté 2. Upstaged 3. Mazurka 4. FireSong 5. Tremolo 6. Don't Let the Wind Catch You 7. The Liar's Gallery 8. Spirit Me Away 9. Under the Ice 10. Lady Blues 11. Voodoo Summer

©2012 Aaron Paul Lazar (P)2013 Aaron Paul Lazar

Adventure, fun, & ghosts--a 1960s summer

Gus LeGarde is twelve years old, it's 1965, and it's high summer. What could be better? He and his friends, the twins Elsbeth and Siegfried, ride their horses and boat on the lake and generally to all the unsupervised wandering around that kids did in the 1960s.

In the course of that wandering, they discover a local hermit, Zachariah Tully, living alone in an old cottage with no electrical power. Except he seems not to be alone; he talks to someone he calls Penni. He's a grumpy man, and threatens to shoot them if they don't get away from his home immediately when he discovers them lurking outside.

Attempts to learn more about Tully run aground when Gus discovers his mother reacts very badly to any mention of him. It seems there was some connection between Grandfather Wright and Mr. Tully, and Gloria LeGarde can't forgive Tully for whatever it was.

The summer gets more interesting when a famous woman journalist who spent fifteen years being held prisoner in Pakistan returns home to the area with her husband after finally escaping. After just three days of being reunited, her husband dies--in their car, parked in the LeGardes' driveway. As startling an event as this is in itself, it triggers more revelations and discoveries about Tully and Grandfather Wright.

Gus, Elsbeth, and Siegfried meet ghosts, solve long-buried local mysteries, unearth family secrets, and make their first discoveries of young love, in the midst of living what used to be an utterly normal childhood, which must seem unbelievable to kids today--or even to their parents, who grew up after the era of roaming free ended. That's a real loss; we learned so much in our unsupervised wandering and play.

This is a wonderful read. Recommended!

I received a free copy of this audiobook from the author.

Surprisingly Interesting

Where does Don't Let the Wind Catch You rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Top 10.

What other book might you compare Don't Let the Wind Catch You to and why?

I have nothing to compare it do. It is beautifully unique and not something I would have ever considered reading, on my own.

What does Erik Synnestvedt bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He does well with the accents and voice changes. He brings real character to the characters.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I laughed many times and became rather emotional at others.

Any additional comments?

My only problem with the narration is that sometimes the narrated portion would continue in the voice of the character who spoke last. I have noticed this with a lot of narrators and would prefer the narration to be different from the voices. Sometimes it makes it hard to tell where the speaking ends and the narration begins.

This was a fun tale. It took me a long time to begin reading because when I heard the character names I assumed this book would resemble the last one of Lazar's that I read. This one was much different and a welcome change.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

Easy Listen

This Aaron Paul Lazar's mystery is well written and is easy to pick and up and put down. Even though this story is part of a several part series, I had no trouble jumping in at this point and I didn't feel like I was missing anything as a listener/reader, which is very rare and commendable. It had a down to earth plot and fun twists and turns that can bring you back to your childhood adventure days.

Narrator, Erik Synnestvedt, does well to capture the youthful nature of this book. His voices are simple yet diverse and keep you engaged throughout the tale.

Overall a good read. I would recommend this to all.

This audiobook was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Heart Warming

I don’t usually read many books from this genre, but I really enjoyed this one. The narration brought the story to life and held my interest throughout. The story was well thought out, complete and will keep you listening. I will definitely be watching for this author in the future.

* I was provided a free copy of this book from AudioBookBlast for review.

Absorbing Quest

If you could sum up Don't Let the Wind Catch You in three words, what would they be?

Captivating, engrossing, intriguing.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Don't Let the Wind Catch You?

There were quite a few memorable moments, but the Native American elements were true-to-life and exhibited with the highest degree of respect.

What about Erik Synnestvedt’s performance did you like?

A smooth, visual interpretation of the author's written words. I enjoyed the performance very much.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The relationship between Gus and his family touched me.

Any additional comments?

Gus LeGarde’s latest adventure along with twins, Elsbeth and Siegfried, is a wild ride of intrigue, enchantment and compassion. Pestered by a persistent Indian girl’s spirit, Gus and the twins set off on a quest to discover the truth to a long-buried secret. During his investigation, Gus uncovers another secret too clandestine to share…with anyone. Lazar is a consummate storyteller whose compelling characters transcend age and beliefs as he takes the reader on a journey of self-discovery.

Curiosity

Back in the earlier times when young teenagers had more oof a curiosity about what goes on around them. Tresapassoing on the property of a recluse, who is he talking to, has them puzzled. Finding hidden secrets before they have an answer. Given audio which brought the story to life was good. Given audio for my voluntary review and my honest opinion

A Hardy Boys Mystery with a Supernatural Twist!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Don't Let the Wind Catch You?

Whenever Penni makes herself "seen" to Gus.

What does Erik Synnestvedt bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His consistency in tone and temperament were calming, setting the right tone for this novel.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When Penni kisses Gus in thanks for saving Tully and letting her know he was OK.

Any additional comments?

I really enjoyed listening to Don't Let the Wind Catch You by Aaron Lazar. This was my first book from the Gus LeGarde series, and I wasn't sure what to expect. I am a 40-something woman who enjoys a variety of genres, including young adult. Not knowing what genre this audiobook falls into, I'd say this is more in the vein of the old Hardy Boys serial, with a supernatural twist. It's a good story that is both a mystery and a ghost story.The story centers around a 12-year old boy, Gus LeGarde, in the summer of 1965 in Upstate New York. Gus is an "old soul" who is wise beyond his years. Gus and his friends frequently ride through the woods on horseback. Despite orders from his parents to do otherwise, he quickly befriends Tully, a cranky old hermit who lives in the woods without electricity and without running water.Tully has a few secrets that the story reveals through Gus's eyes of youthful and limited experiences. One such secret is that Tully speaks to an Indian ghost, Penni, who died in the 1700's. Penni shows herself to Gus and his friends too by rattling tin cups and flipping book pages. She also appears to Gus twice to save Tully's life. Eventually Penni gets Gus and Tully to help solve the mystery surrounding her death, which supposedly will help Penni cross over into the next realm.The book is narrated by Erik Synnestvedt whom I've never heard before. He did an admirable job, using consistent voices for each character throughout. He might not read as enthusiastically as other narrators, but his consistency in tone and temperament were calming, setting the right tone for this novel. I'd listen to another one of his narrated stories anytime.In summary, if you are tired of reading/listening to the normal contemporary stories out there, and are looking for a good, sweet natured story, I highly suggest trying Don't Let the Wind Catch You by Aaron Lazar.

Lazar continues to impress

I received the audiobook as a gift (not with any expectation of a review) and enjoyed it more than you'd think an old bat would enjoy a book with a 12-year-old hero. Then again, Gus LeGarde is an exceptional (though entirely ordinary - go figure) 12-year-old. Lazar combines great sensitivity and rich descriptive details to create engaging characters in fascinating relationships within original plot scenarios. The paranormal element was a gentle, entertaining exploration of what-if. Not everyone will agree with Lazar's take on certain relationships, but his unconditional love for all of humanity shines through every book of his that I've read. I'd recommend this book for both young adult and adult readers.

I'm a big fan of voice artist Erik Synnestvedt too. He brings Gus to life perfectly and does a great job individualizing the other characters.

Don't Let the Wind Catch You

"This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of Audiobook Blast."
It was fantastic to see Gus and friends as children. There were enough twists and turns that held me spellbound .


The narration was excellent,

Engaging story

I don't want to give away too much of the plot, but I have to say I love young Gus and his adventures. I must admit I could tell what was coming, but I still enjoyed the book. I love this particular narrator and think he does a wonderful job of portraying many different characters. Sometimes you wonder if it's someone else's voice!