Kevin M. Treanor

ISBN 978-1-4808-7111-3

October 30, 201862 Pages

Humanity has always been haunted by the possibility of living multiple lives- astral planes, alternate reality, reincarnation, etc. The question of purpose equally haunts each of our lives. We all share the same narrative- we live then we die. What makes us unique is the stuff in between, ReadersMagnet takes a look at Kevin Treanor’s narrative of a man who has lived multiple lives and is currently coming to grips with this reality.

Definitely a unique narrative arc

The Lives of Louis Linville is a fiction novel that tells the story of a man name Louis Linville. Louis is a successful young man living the American dream. He has beautiful girlfriend, Karen. He works as finance coach, talks to companies regarding their expenditures and advises them on corporate financial matters. However, he is constantly bothered by these bad dreams the often leave him drained in the morning.

A day after receiving a luxurious pay from Elementary Aircraft Engineering, Louis took his new toy for a spin- a showroom Mustang. He went cruising on the Angeles Crest Highway, a two-lane mountain road in the San Gabriel Mountains above Los Angeles. After receiving a call from Karen, Louis meet a tragic accident and regained consciousness in the presence of a man known as The Watcher.

The Watcher then reveals to Louis that he has lived multiple live in the past. However, his memories of them are bleak except for three lives: James Malverne, Sister Sebastian, and Percival Strongwood. After a brief moment, Louis Linville is shown each of the reincarnated lives in his past.

Kevin Treanor weaves his story with fine details

The Lives of Louis Linville is a weaving of multiple storylines to paint a larger, vivid picture. Remarkably, Mr. Kevin Treanor is able to execute each chapter using the appropriate color palette for each setting. In the Percival’s reincarnation he wisely chooses the Black Death in England to depict the tragic life and death of Percival, a good-hearted man who suffered a terrible death. The transition from Percival’s good morning talk to his discovery of the Sinclair’s tragic death up to his own demise was written with such riveting pace. 

In Sister Sebastian’s case, Treanor places his readers in Paris, France at a time where sending children to convent was still a “dignified” decision for parents. The author chooses the convent of the Cluniac nuns to successfully portray the strict environment in which the character of Marie grew into. The secrets that Sister Sebastian harbored displayed a sort of both historical and political truth as far as medieval monasticism and the controversies during those time are concerned. Finally, Kevin Treanor puts a fitting compliment to his narrative by choosing to show Louis his life as a soldier in war-torn America. Not only does Treanor successfully paints the grim and tragic realities of war but more importantly he was able to highlight one truth we often perfunctorily dismiss- the uncertainty of getting out alive. In a snap, Captain James Z. Malverne, a war veteran, a proven warrior, and a true soldier, dropped dead just when readers thought Malverne and his band of soldiers were off to a sound retreat.

A brief but telling tapestry worthy of our shelf

What Kevin Treanor’s The Lives of Louis Linville offers us is not only the perks of non-linear adventure. Above all, Treanor shares us spirituality and the lessons they carry. The Watcher served as a divine entity that has always been present throughout Louis’ many reincarnations. It teaches us that each life is a gift and must be lived by appreciating not only the material, the tangible, but more importantly the values they represent- hope, faith, and love for fellow human beings. While each of the character suffered an untimely death, Kevin Treanor sees to it that their lives were never dull. In a fitting ending, Kevin Treanor’s The Watcher presents us with another truth- that each of our lives are interconnected and we live in the lives we touch.

Kevin Treanor’s The Lives of Louis Linville is a great, heart-warming read. Despite its brevity that found me wanting for more pages, it’s suffice to say that Kevin Treanor is a master storyteller and this book is a wonderful gift. ReadersMagnet Book Review recommends this book to all ages, whether you are into fiction, spiritual or plain adventure, The Lives of Louis Linville is journey worth diving into.