This is a beautifully written and heartwarming story of two brothers growing up in rural Indiana. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I listened to this book via VoiceView on my Kindle and I almost broke into tears in the deli ailse at the grocery store toward the end. I became invested in so many of the characters and totally enjoyed my hours with Joe and Darren as they took care of their uncles wishes. I loved the hometown memories and the story was written so well it sounded as if it could have been a memoir.
High 5 stars. Thank you to Books Go Social and NetGalley.

While the premise of this book sounded promising, I simply could not get engaged in the storyline. Read like a diary type writing to me full of memories of days gone by, sometimes comical in nature, sometimes so slow I had to scan ahead to stay awake. Just not my kind of book.
3 stars.

I was interested in this book as it is about a small town in rural Indiana and am from Indiana and have lived in several small towns there. I found #intheshadowofthewatertower to be very touching, true to the character of place and a great read. I was really invested in the story and the two brothers that are the main characters. The author, Alan Kirby, writes with a unique voice and much empathy. This book touched my heart and I think it will touch yours too. In reading the acknowledgements and author note at the end I actually gasped in delight to find that Kirby is a Ball State University graduate-go Cardinals!-as I am also. Thank you #netgalley for this book to read and review, it is heartwarming and gives you faith in humanity-even if it is fiction!

While I enjoyed the idea of two brothers returning home to their small town, I never got fully enveloped in the story. Stopped reading about 1/3 of the way.

Sorry it took me so long to get to read this wonderfully written story of two brothers! It feels you up with warmth,humor,and sadness but happiness above all!! Great story line that makes you feel as you read that you know these two brothers as they grew up!! You never know what will happen when you answer the phone!! 5 years for sure!!😏

A very heartwarming book that delves into just how much memory and a childhood can be influenced. It's a well written story that'll have you thinking of all the good you could do wherever you are.
Thanks Netgalley for the eARC.

Engaging and touching story of nostalgia, friendships and brotherhood. Read like a memoir, but it is fiction.

Great read. The author wrote a story that was interesting and moved at a pace that kept me engaged. The characters were easy to invest in.

What a wonderful story of life about two brothers given a daunting task they never imagined. A trip down memory lane told in a beautiful way. 5*

Warm and humorous book that feels like it could be a true story...and there's a reason for that. Basically, it IS a true story! When two brothers are given a very unexpected and unusual task to perform, they are brought together in their childhood hometown and begin a month of looking back and looking forward.

Very well written, I felt like I knew these guys by the time the story was over. There was, probably necessarily, a lot of time spent on the civic details of the town, and I didn't find those parts so very interesting. But the relationship of the brothers and their memories of growing up and their encounters with old childhood friends and enemies made it worth the read.

It just felt nice...like a friend sitting down and telling you about a great adventure they've been on. You kind of feel like you've been there yourself!

Having grown up in a small Midwestern town, I wanted to love this book about two brothers who return to their hometown after a surprise call from an attorney. From the attorney, they learn that a old neighbor who was like an uncle to them has named them as executors of his estate,worth millions - all earmarked to help their hometown. All they have to do is decide how best to invest it. The book tells the story of their efforts to find the best way to invest the money in the community.

The relationship between the brothers is touching and rings true. And there's some humor here that will resonnate with anyone who grew up in a small town. But for me, the book seemed to drag on and on. I couldn't fully connect with either main character. Perhaps men will relate to this more fully. #Netgallery #InTheShadowofTheWaterTower

I gave this book a 5 out of 5 star review. It was an enjoyable and I would recommend. to others. Generously provided to me through NetGalley

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.
The Kelly brothers receive a phone call from an attorney in Glenville, Indiana, the small town they grew up in, informing them that a neighbor has left a sizeable fortune to charity. A life-changing fortune, actually. It was the deceased's request that the brothers determine how to spend the money to benefit Glenville. The brothers return home, and take a stroll down memory lane while they decide how to divvy up the funds.
The storyline is great and I did like parts of the book, but overall it was just mediocre. I couldn’t seem to connect with the characters, and at some points the reminiscing went on overly long and my mind started to wander. I started the book expecting some memory lane stories, but it was just overdone. Unfortunately, none of the stories were very compelling or amusing enough to hold my attention and make me want to continue reading. I did finish just to see how it ended, but my recommendation is to pass on this one.

www.candysplanet.wordpress.com

In the Shadow of the Water Tower by Alan Kirby

Take a trip down memory lane with the 60 something years old Kelly brothers. Born in Glenville, Indiana in the 1950s, these two small town gents are brought back to where they spent their childhoods by an unexpected phone call.

The Kellys have been entrusted and tasked to spend a monumental sum of money left in a former neighbor’s will. The catch? They must spend it to improve the town of Glenville by designating the money to different deserving organizations which help the most citizens. In only 30 days. A tough decision for anyone.

As the reader, you will spend time getting to know Darren and Joe as kids through tales of their youthful antics. Accomplishments and failures alike will be shared. You’ll meet old friends of theirs and a nemesis or two as well. Some things never change.

Some parts of the story seem a little long, while others give us a wonderful sense of Anywhere Small Town, USA that some of us might have missed. All in all, it’s an original, feel-good story most will enjoy.

A great idea for a story and wonderfully told. It was a pleasure to read this book. It was happy and sad and memorable all rolled in together.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

While the description sounded very promising, I was disappointed with the book itself. (Maybe that’s a male/female thing – this is definitely a trip down memory lane from teenage boys’ perspective.) I expected it to be more about the present day, although it does work in being about how a town has changed over forty years. But some of the stories were rather ‘off’... Sorry, but I am not recommending this book – although I would be interested to see how the plot could be treated by a different writer. [Now that I have finished the book, I should add that it has a very unexpected & moving ending - although I still wish the content had been cleaned up.]

I did like this book overall. In places, I laughed out loud. And spoiler alert - the acknowledgment section at the end made me cry. There is some bullying, adult language and sexual content that's unnecessary to the story, though. Also, I didn't connect enough with Darren Kelly to read the next book in the sequel. However, "In the Shadow of The Water Tower" is basically a pleasant book about two men in their 60s who revisit their childhood hometown, rehash memories, renew friendships, discover new friends, and make a difference in the community. It's an easy read that helped me reminisce about my childhood and what I would do in the same situation.

My thanks to BooksGoSocial and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review a copy of this novel.
In our sceptical and hard-wired world it is a wonderful surprise to read a book that is both delightful and fanciful.
I don’t do spoilers but I do recommend reading this life-enhancing tale. Sit back – forget your worries and the crumbling world and give yourself over to a brilliant amusing and imaginative story.
I have not read Alan Kirby’s other volume “the Ivory Tower” but I will look it out now.
I give “In the Shadow of the Water Tower” 5 stars and look forward to more from this happy author.

WITH AN UNEXPECTED PHONE CALL FROM A DISTANT ATTORNEY, THE LIVES OF TWO BROTHERS FOREVER CHANGE.

The Kelly brothers are in their early sixties and live on opposite sides of the country—Joe in Maryland and Darren in California—when they receive a call from a demanding attorney in their small hometown of Glenville, Indiana. The request: to travel to Indiana to hear the final wishes of a recently deceased former neighbor from their childhood, “Uncle” Shorty.
The brothers head down memory lane as they do good deeds. A truly wonderful book. A joy to share their jouney.

Many thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of the book.