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Incurable Disease of Writing

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Product Description

In this fascinating, spellbinding intrigue, the U.S. government has militarily taken over a small town. Their mission is to quarantine a virus in the soil threatening the country's grain production. The virus is uncontrollable. A soldier abandons his post, leaves the town, and takes his family on a pilgrimage to The Rocketship Café, a way station and sanctuary for those who enter. He hopes to find someone to confide in -- to find some answers in a world that has suddenly and inexplicably gone wrong -- very wrong. Good vs. evil and life vs. death permeate this mesmerizing, compelling tale rife with deception and conspiracy. Treachery and cover-up seep into the choices individuals and communities make. Who can be trusted; who can be relied upon?

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2609909 in Books
• Published on: 2008-11-11
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 208 pages

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Customer Reviews

A fascinating look at human nature in a world run amuck.
It is a quiet day at the Rocketship Café; just two regular customers keep owner Gilly busy. Minnow, one of the customers, is sitting with a tape recorder, trying to record an oral history of his childhood for his grandson's school project. Suddenly a big, burly man enters the café, accompanied by his wife and twin daughters. This new guest, Washington, mistaking Minnow for a reporter, guides his family to Minnow's booth, and begins to tell his amazing story. In disbelief, Minnow and Gilly listen to an account of the military taking over a local town to control a virus that is running rampant and threatening to destroy the country's grain production. When his story is told, Washington and his family leave the café while Minnow and Gilly are left to wonder whether they just heard a true story or the ramblings of a madman.

So begins TARE, the suspenseful novel by first time author Peggy Sue Yarber. The story then jumps back in time to the military's arrival in a small, peaceful town. The military has very little regard for the townspeople as they plan to isolate the town and run an experiment, with the townspeople playing the role of lab rats. With Washington, and his commanding officer, the Colonel, running the show, the military quickly take control, killing several young men during their conquest. The town is soon encased in a magnetic shield to contain both the virus and the inhabitants.

As the story unfolds, events spiral out of control with the military's best laid plans falling flat. They want to first study the effects of eating the grain; then show how the virus infected food affects conception and childbirth. But the townspeople soon grow weary of their conquerors. In desperation, some willingly commit suicide by walking into the magnetic shield, while others begin to protest. Meanwhile, soldiers, against orders, begin to fraternize with the civilians. Washington, once the strongest supporter of the mission, starts to doubt both himself and the military. Soon it is unclear whether the virus will be contained and more importantly, what is happening in the fields?

Taking the title of her book from a Biblical parable in which tare, a sometimes poisonous seed, would be separated from the wheat seed and burned, the author uses the term as a present day parable for separating good from evil. We see good people, both townsfolk and military, forced into difficult situations with other cruel and unfeeling people. Who will win? The battles take many different forms throughout TARE and culminate with a confrontation between Washington and the Colonel at the end that will keep the reader glued to the page as these characters fight over this same concept.

Quill says: A fascinating look at human nature in a world run amuck.

Chilling thriller, hitting too close to home
Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (8/09)

People often ask me whether I prefer reading fiction or non-fiction books. While I have always preferred fiction, lately I've come to realize that the fiction I like best tends to be barely a step or two from non-fiction. No matter what the subject is, if the author manages to use elements of today's utterly crazy world and twists them just enough to make them into fiction I tend to enjoy the results of such "close to home" encounters.

Peggy Sue Yarber's "Tare" intrigued me from the moment I saw the title. My mind was racing all over the place... "Tare" as in armor? Are we going to Rwanda? Something to do with the weight? Reading the book description on the back cover did not enlighten me much on that subject, but it certainly intrigued me further. Government conspiracy, a take-over of a small town, deadly virus in the grain, a soldier seeking sanctuary, The Rocketship Cafe... Treason. Evil. Death. Choices. Decidedly "close-to-what-could-have-been" sounding stuff, and therefore compelling. Without giving away much more of the plot, let me say that I was not disappointed.

There was little that I did not enjoy in this book. The story was gripping and quite haunting, making one wonder constantly about the matters of truth and treason. Ms. Yarber's writing style is unique and distinctive, and her characters come alive, not only with their direct actions, but also from the clever little pieces of information Ms. Yarber inserts here and there, such as Colonel's interest in charcoal drawings. The sci-fi part of the story never takes over the - at least for me - more fascinating story of human mind and emotions. The many parallels with today's world are cleverly incorporated in the story and make it modern and relevant. And the meaning of "tare" is explained through a parable from the Bible, and even more so through the twists, turns and story development.

The only slightly discordant note was the usual bane of self-published books, namely the obvious lack of proofreading. Mistakes such as "mantle" instead of "mantel" cannot be caught by a spell-checker alone. I have little doubt though that Ms. Yarber will write more books, and I am sure such issues will be promptly addressed in her next tome.

Overall I've really liked "Tare" by Peggy Sue Yarber and I found it to be a thought-provoking, if not always easy reading. Those readers who enjoy an intelligently written tale should certainly pick it up as well. As long as one does not get scared by the initial darkness of the book, one's patience will be rewarded - just like in the parable of the tares.

A Timely Christian Science Fiction Read
The parable of the tares comes to life in Peggy Sue Yarber's first published work entitled "Tare". Intriguing cover art sets the stage for this political thriller suspense story. The government has "invaded" a small farming town to quarantine a virus and keep it from spreading to other communities. A soldier leaves his position as part of this invading force to get his own family out of harm's way.

This book reminded me a bit of the TV series "Jericho" for its military presence, and the movie "Mad Max" for its futuristic, almost apocalyptic, flavor. This is a timely parable to be dramatized as the second coming of Christ approaches. "Tare" is a decent story, but this novel didn't grab and hold my attention as I expected it to do.