Release: June 1st 2021
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Greenleaf Book Group Press
Source: Amazon
Find it at: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, Kobo
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The Essence of Nathan Biddle is a timeless coming of age tale . Novelist David Armstrong observed, “is like discovering The Catcher in the Rye all over again.” Active Kit Biddle is a rising prep school senior who finds himself tangled in a web of spiritual and intellectual absurdities. Kit’s angst is compounded by a unique psychological burden he is forced to carry. His intelligent but unstable Uncle Nat has committed an unspeakable act . According to the Uncle’s deranged account, they were direct orders from God.
The tragedy haunting his family follows Kit like a dark and ominous cloud. He struggles with his existence and the meaning of his life. When the brilliant Anna dismisses him, Kit quickly spirals into despair and self destruction. But his stupid decision to steal a maintenance truck and speeding down the highway ends in a horrific accident. Kit is on months of both physical and emotional convalescence. Now he reexamines his perceptions of his life.
In this exquisite struggle for identity, calamity leads to fresh thoughts and new ideas. It focuses Kit’s mind and forces him to confront the issues that plague him. Readers will empathize and celebrate, as the darkness lifts and Kit comes to terms with the necessity of engagement with life’s pain, pleasure and absurdity.
An intelligent, clever, and captivating tale, The Essence of Nathan Biddle soars in the spaces that exist between despair and hope, darkness and light, love and loss. Beautifully written, profoundly moving, and resplendent with characters destined to remain with you long after the last page is turned, The Essence of Nathan Biddle is unforgettable.
About the Author: 
Alabama native J. William Lewis is a former lawyer who lives in Shoal Creek, a suburb of Birmingham, Alabama. Born in Chickasaw, Alabama, Lewis grew up in Mobile. He graduated from Spring Hill College (A.B., magna cum laude, English and Philosophy) where he was a member of Alpha Sigma Nu and recipient of the Merihl Award. While in college, Lewis served as editor-in-chief of the literary magazine The Motley. Lewis received his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law and served on the Editorial Board of the Virginia Law Review.
After a clerkship for the Honorable Walter P. Gewin on the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Lewis practiced law in Birmingham for over three and a half decades.
Presently, Lewis serves as executive officer of his family’s investment company, Seaman Capital, LLC, and related companies.
He has been married to Lorraine Seaman Lewis for more than half a century.
The Essence of Nathan Biddle is his debut novel..
The Essence of Nathan Biddle Review:
“The Essence of Nathan Biddle” is an interesting coming-of-age story about Kit as he questions the meaning of life.
I had mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, I understand what the author is trying to convey. While reading the story, I imagined myself in Kit’s position as he experiences strange situations and contemplates his role in life. I feel that this is something that many of us go through eventually at one point or another, and it was interesting to see how a young person like Kit meandered with his feelings.
Moreover, Kit is interesting as the lead, and I liked reading his story. The author touches on a lot of his emotions as Kit interacts with various people. From his interactions with the coach to his sessions with Dr. Gross, we see Kit mature and expand his mind. The author also makes some scenes interesting, like when Kit goes with his mother and has a colorful encounter in the asylum. It was also interesting to see how he coped with the trauma that happened in his family, like his father’s death.
However, I had trouble with how the author paced the story. At times, I felt as though there was no direction as to where the story was heading. We just read about the various situations that Kit finds himself in and how he reacts to them. For instance, I found the scenes around Zac Purcell and the funeral unnecessary, as well as the part where he is in the women’s restroom.
Overall, “The Essence of Nathan Biddle” certainly has its moments, but I felt it somehow missed its mark with its execution.
