Gifted Hands

After the loss of his wife, Charlie Kelly departs on a world tour to assuage his grief. He is convinced to start his tour in Japan, a place he hasn't seen in two decades, since he was stationed there while in the Army. Many old memories return, not the least of which, is the memory of the young Japanese teacher he once loved and lost. This romantic novel is filled with suspense, intrigue and tragic comedy. It involves romances discovered in the wake of sacrifices. Will the long lost prince and princess find each other and reunite? This book contains the elements of a spy novel. There is the intrigue of a cat and mouse chase. Are the private eye's intentions good or evil? A mystery is resolved in the end, as the characters do not realize how much danger they really were in from mobsters in hot pursuit. A central question posed is who has the right to judge others? This novel is also about the lives of two gifted individuals, an artist and a musician and the impacts they have on the lives they come into contact with. The author, Kenneth Fenter, draws on his experience living and working with the Japanese in Nagasaki as both a teacher and an artist. Gifted Hands is the fourth Novel for Kenneth Fenter. The first novel in this Series is The Ruin followed by The Bee Tree, Pivotal Times: The Freshman Class and then Gifted Hands. The main Character Charlie was a minor character in the first two books and a main supporting character in Pivotal Times. The character Keiko was also introduced in Pivotal Times.

Gifted Hands is the fourth Novel for Kenneth Fenter. The first novel in this Series is The Ruin followed by The Bee Tree, Pivotal Times: The Freshman Class and then Gifted Hands. In 1977 Kenneth Fenter and his wife Lora left teaching positions in Oregon to teach English at Chinzei Junior College in Isahaya near Nagasaki, Kyushu, Japan. Two years later. Kenneth returned the family to Springfield, OR 1980, but continued his contact with the Nagasaki area doing business as a stained glass artist for an additional three years. Isahaya and Nagasaki is the setting for this Novel. He chronicled the five years he lived and did business in Japan in the series of books, An American Family in Japan. He has taught high school journalism, English and creative writing for nearly three decades.