Pendulum is the tale of a family at a crossroads. In this novel, Charles Ellis and his wife, Sally, manage their old family ranch in the semi-arid region of western Nevada.
After Charles experiences a health scare, his brother, Sam, returns from living back east to help his aging brother, only to find that their smoothly run system is a fragile one and going through an age-induced change.
Since Charles’ and Sally’s two grown children, Dan and Robin, lead urban lives, they have little interest in taking over the ranch. This leaves the Ellis’ in a quandary about the future of their ranch, as they are confronted by developers who want to acquire their land and develop it with roads, businesses, and housing, and in the process, destroy the ranch, the surrounding wilderness, and possibly their lives in the process.
The ranch and the surrounding desert landscape are formidable players in this novel. Unbeknownst to the Ellis family, their roots are so woven throughout the land that they could no more be pulled from it and live than an aged tree could if yanked up by its roots.
The title, Pendulum, refers to the old grandmother clock ferried over in covered wagon by the family’s forebears; throughout the novel, the pendulum’s oscillating arc offers a metaphor for the new and the renewal of life.
Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Pendulum
Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2023
lauder’s rich descriptive writing tells the story of a farm family’s struggle to retain their land. add a side of adventure, along with a mystery from the past, and the reader will soon be heading to the nevada desert to experience the wonder for themself.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Pendulum is a great adventurous read!
Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2023
Author Lauder does a masterful job illustrating the ongoing struggle of a family struggling with the pressures of development vs holding on to the family ranch. It’s a must read.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great book
Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2023
The story of two brothers long separated coming back together to run a ranch outside of Reno, Nevada. Had good character development. I will miss the brothers, hope there will be a second book. The story has the history of early Nevada to the modern day development of the cement jungle.