First fiction effort is a rough ride

"Traveler," by David Cheever (AuthorHouse, $17.96)

Hawaii author David Cheever makes his fiction debut with "Traveler" (also available in e-book), a novel about a young man named Norman who steals his mom’s red Schwinn Traveler bicycle and goes on a 1980s odyssey of self-discovery.

The sturdy bike is a symbol of freedom for the characters, carrying them physically and emotionally from one point in life to the other.

Cheever, an avid cyclist, is a former marketing consultant and adman who owned a bicycle shop here for many years. His nonfiction books include "Pohaku: The Art and Architecture of Stonework in Hawaii" and "Daytrips Hawaii: 50 One Day Adventures by Car, Bus, Boat and Plane."

"Traveler" is hard pedaling both for Norman and readers of the self-published novel, which suffers from awkward dialogue. Instead of relying on descriptive writing skills, Cheever’s characters end up saying everything they see and feel.

Despite the narrative potholes, readers may start to empathize with Norman’s struggles, and Cheever writes in nice detail about the places Norman visits, from Boston and Washington, D.C., to Tallahassee, Fla., and Laredo, Texas, and points in between.