Tim Gautreaux

In the 1920’s during Prohibition, protagonist Randolph Aldridge, son of a Pennsylvania lumber baron, travels to Louisiana to find his elder brother, Byron, and manage one of his father’s sawmills. Randolph takes the train to Nimbus, an isolated logging town, where Byron functions as the arm of the law. Byron is estranged from his family after returning from his service in WWI, where he has suffered psychological trauma. The sawmill hands work hard, drink hard, and fight hard, often leading to violent confrontations. A mafia boss controls the local saloon and brothels, which adds to the violence.

The setting is vividly described. The writing is atmospheric and evokes a strong sense of the Louisiana swamps. The characters are particularly well-drawn. The relationship between the brothers is key. Byron has withdrawn to the edges of civilization and Randolph wants to help him reconnect with life. During his melancholy moods, Byron plays a series of sad songs on the Victrola. Randolph cares deeply for his brother, eventually making a significant sacrifice. The supporting characters are believable and given enough backstory to picture them as part of this small remote community. Even the blind horse has a unique personality.

I particularly enjoyed the writing style in passages such as: “Ella appeared in the doorway and leaned against the frame, looking at her brother-in-law. After a while she placed a finger below a dry blue eye. At first Randolph didn’t understand, but then he turned and saw that Byron was crying, his lips formed carefully around each note of the song issuing thin and one-dimensional from the mahogany cabinet. Randolph sat as still as wood, his lips parted, his disbelieving breath coming lightly between his lips. Out in the mill yard, rain began to fall, and the house shook as the blind horse bumped its head against the porch post.”

This book strikes a satisfying balance between character and plot. It is dark and violent but contains offsetting elements of decency and redemption. It features many voices, such as the northern outsiders, Cajuns, Creoles, African Americans, and Italians. It gets the reader thinking about how violence impacts people and nature. I am impressed by the author’s craftsmanship.
… (mais)

Del autor de la colección de relatos El mismo sitio, las mismas cosas, llega esta novela impregnada de un extraño y marcado sentido de la tradición y las nuevas oportunidades. Paul Thibodeaux es un atractivo joven casado con Colette, la mujer más hermosa del pequeño pueblo de Luisiana en el que crecieron. Para Paul, la vida es plena, con una mujer a la que ama, máquinas que reparar, y un bullicioso local al que ir a bailar. Pero Colette aspira
a más. Y cuando se desplaza a California en busca de una vida mejor, Paul la sigue para luego volver, a la espera de que ella se replantee su vida junto a él.
Cómo llegan a darse cuenta de la importancia de su hogar y de su matrimonio hace de esta novela una aventura durante la cual tomará forma una historia de amor. Un retrato viviente de un lugar y una cultura poco explorados por la ficción contemporánea. Tim Gautreaux escribe con ingenio y compasión, pero también con un ojo clínico para los detalles de una vida al más puro estilo sureño.… (mais)