Arroyo - Book Review

by Chip Jacobs

Two Stories, the Same People at Different Eras 

A novel by Chip Jacobs, Arroyo follows the story of Nick Chance, an aspiring solar lamp inventor, and his clairvoyant dog. First set in the early 1900s, the plot revolves mainly around the people and events in Pasadena, California.

Nick Chance first worked at Cawston Ostrich Farm. Aside from his main job, he also rides Mrs. Grover Cleveland, an ostrich. Nick’s showmanship and agility as an ostrich rider earn a following, especially among sick children. It’s also through one of his riding routines that Nick meets Reginald Plant. 

Nick’s stint at Cawston is short-lived, though. An incident led him to move to another job assignment. He gets a promising career at the construction site of the Colorado Street Bridge. It’s a job closest to his heart since it is here that he gets the opportunity to work on his passion. At the Mercereau Company, he develops his solar-powered lamps and successfully set them up on the new bridge.

Furthermore, as soon as Nick joins the construction company, the plot of Arroyo moves to focus on the bridge project. Many important twists and turns of the story begin to unfold here. The Colorado Street Bridge takes center stage, particularly its challenges, the people working in it, the bridge's opening, and until its eightieth anniversary. 

Throughout the book, Jacobs is not short of valuable stories in and around the bridge, Pasadena, and the people. He engages the reader until the end. The author also introduces many prominent and real personalities of the first half of the 1900s, and of the 1990s.

The Book and the Author

Chip Jacobs is undisputedly a very good writer. He is adept at playing with words, injecting humor where it fits. Not only that! In Arroyo, he demonstrates a very well-researched work, the reader can forget he’s reading only historical fiction. The author does not leave any detail hanging about the major areas and structures of Pasadena.

Generally, I like most parts of the Arroyo story. But, I just want to make a special mention of those that stand out to me. What I like the most in the book is the charity event where a cow escapes from its enclosure. The scene where the wealthy and elite attendees scamper everywhere is hilarious. I don’t mean to take joy in the misery of the people, though. It’s just that through Jacobs' descriptions, I virtually see the people’s facial expressions and their reactions to the situation. That’s how vividly the author describes his scenes. He takes the reader right to where the actions are. I also like the part where Nick tours Jules around Pasadena. I feel like being transported into the past with the characters. It gives me a glimpse of how that part of California looks like back in the early 1900s.

The Part That I Don't Like

However, there’s also a part of Arroyo that I don’t like - or like the least. The dialogues between Nick and Jules, especially the part where they do the word association game are a bit boring. The story slackens in momentum in this part. Likewise, I must admit I almost decided to discontinue reading Arroyo. The Prologue is quite long and seemingly confusing. I think many of those who have started reading this book share my observations. They must have also wondered where the story is heading and might have decided to put down the book.

But I'm glad I decided to continue reading Arroyo until the end. Only then that I understand who Mr. Incidental is and why he’s in the very place described in the Prologue.

The Technical Side

Arroyo contains a handful of grammatical and typographical errors. I also notice at least two instances where the characters' names are misrepresented. The name RG is referred to as Waldo while Nick is supposed to be referring to the former. And, the name Jules is erroneously typed when it is supposed to refer to Julie. So, I suggest Chip Jacobs or his proofreader checks these errors out before reproducing more copies of the book.

Because of these errors only do I withdraw one star from a perfect rating of this book. I, therefore, give Arroyo a rating of 4 out of 5 stars. But I still highly recommend this novel to readers of all age groups. I also advise would-be readers to not get discouraged by the lengthy and seemingly confusing Prologue. You will discover its value somewhere in the plot. I don’t intend to give the details of this to avoid spoilers.