Publisher: Steerforth
Publication Date: January 15, 2008
Publication Date: January 15, 2008
Summary:
The Vermont hill
country is the stark, vivid setting for this gripping and entertaining story of
bold determination. The local villain, Blackway, is making life hellish for
Lillian, a young woman from parts elsewhere. Her boyfriend has fled the state
in fear, and local law enforcement can do nothing to protect her. She resolves,
however, to stand her ground, and to fight back. A pair of unlikely allies –
Lester, a crafty old-timer, and Nate, a powerful but naive youth – join her
cause, understanding that there is no point in taking up the challenge unless
you’re willing to “go through.” In this modern-day drama, a kind of Greek
chorus – wry, witty, digressive; obsessively, amusingly reminiscent; skeptical,
opinionated, and not always entirely sober – enriches the telling of this
unforgettable tale as the reader follows the threesome’s progress on their
dangerous, suspenseful quest.
Review: Lillian is fed up. Whatever her boyfriend Kevin, now ex-boyfriend, was
mixed up in has gotten way out of hand. Even worse, he's fled the small Vermont
town leaving her to fend for herself. The guy who he wronged, Blackway, has now
turned his attention to her. It started as simple threats, but quickly
escalated, leaving her car wrecked, cat killed, and her emotions at a head.
When the local police can't find any way to legally assist her, she decides to
hunker down and put an end to this by herself.
At the suggestion of the sheriff, she seeks the
assistance of a local man who had his own run in with Blackway years ago.
Blackway carries a reputation of being someone you don't want to get involved
with. Most in the town seem to accept this as a fact and steer clear of any
mention of him. When she goes to the old mill to try to find help, she is met
instead by a group of old-timers who pass the time by drinking and swapping
stories and gossip. The recommended helper is nowhere to be found, but at the
insistence of Whizzer, the kind of leader of the group of men, she leaves
accompanied by Lester, a man who has worked at the saw mill for most of his
life, and Nate, the young guy who is just learning the ropes. With the help of
these two men, Lillian seeks Blackway and attempts to put a stop to his
violence.
This is a strange little story. There is no
doubt that author Castle Freeman has a strong voice in his writing. At only 160
pages, however, there is little time for the characters to really develop.
Instead, each character is given a kind of face value exterior with only subtle
hints at deeper emotions or motivations. As the story alternates between the
mismatched trio's search for Blackway and the group of old gossiping men,
reminiscent of a Greek chorus, the story tends to lose some of its steam. With
constant interruptions, the action kind of ends with no real bang, leaving me
wondering if it was really worth my time to follow these characters in the first
place. Part of me feels like this story had a lot of pottential and could have
been fleshed out into someting great. The other part questions the intention of
the author and his seemingly trivial story.
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