Heavy Metal is a Sin
Heavy Metal is a Sin is ECS Publishing’s Book of the Year
When Elena’s father dies under mysterious circumstances in his thirties, she finds herself face to face with his only living relative; an uncle she has never met.
The eulogy he delivers detonates, tearing open a silence forged decades ago and left behind like a scorched shell. Off-script and unfiltered, he reopens wounds and heals others in the same breath.
Their story begins in rural America’s postwar factories, where Hollywood dreams and promiscuity collide with poverty and hard labor. It moves through homelessness and the crucible of the Vietnam war. It is a world heavy with welding torches, religious fundamentalism, and moral doubt. Sparks fly. Loyalties are tested. Dancing is the devil’s handshake. The flames of legacy burn hotter than any metal.
Heavy Metal is a Sin is a novel of buried truths and steel-forged courage. It reverberates across generations, echoing the family devotion of Pachinko, the sweeping historical scope of Outlander, and the emotional force of Homegoing.
This is a story of fathers and sons, brothers in arms and in grief, communities that fail us, and those that pull us from the fire. It honors the quiet dignity of welding sparks and the louder fight for truth.
ISBN: 979-8-9987737-5-4
Library of Congress Control Number (LCCN): 2025917731
WorldCat: 1527156172
In my opinion, Harrison Rose Tate is one of those rare, talented authors who can make any story come alive. I don't think a lot of people could have pulled this off. A family story, a tale as old as time. Tate makes it riveting. It's emotional, powerful, layered, and at times funny. Tate's superpower is character development. Tate knows when to give the reader a lot, and when to hold back. Oscar is just complex enough without being overplayed. On the surface, he appears to be a typical military dude, yet he's mysterious enough that it seems like he doesn't even fully understand himself. Elena is portrayed in a way that really makes her come alive, rather than making her a flat, stereotypical daughter, sister and niece. This really drew me in.
-GoodReads Review
This took my by surprise. It's funny at times, emotionally-charged, real. It's an all-around great book. A story that stays with you.
-Amazon Review
To be sure, this book's strength is its characters. They don’t suddenly transform in big, dramatic, predictable moments. The author gives them space to breathe and develop through layers of pressure, the passage of time, circumstances, and of course heartache. It makes their growth feel both real and inevitable at the same time.
What really stands out, though, is how the author gets them to possess all of those qualities without ever breaking the tone. They can be funny, raw, awkward, and tender. Sometimes all in the same scene. When they break character and get passionate or intense, you can feel their awkwardness with themselves. You feel it in a way you don't normally feel characters in a story. It's as if they were human.
This is the type of book you will be glad you read and I couldn’t recommend it more highly.
-Barnes & Noble Review
I read The Tour Guide and I wanted to check out the other work of this author, so I ordered Heavy Metal is a Sin. The classic "don't judge a book by its cover" thing happened to me. This is not a book about heavy metal. It reminded me of the movie Footloose, where dancing was considered a "sin". In this case, one of the two brothers who are part of the story gets an opportunity to be in a movie, but the father thinks movies are sinful. I won't reveal the plot, but the story is great. I honestly can't imagine anyone hating this book. It's based on a true story, and it's really good.
-LibraryThing Review
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