Ron Rash

This is another excellent novel by Ron Rash with highly developed characters. It centers around two brothers who live with their widowed mother and her controlling, manipulative father-in-law, the small town's doctor and autocrat.

The brothers, Eugene and Bill, are four years apart in age, with Bill excelling in academics and sports to his grandfather's delight. Eugene's strengths lie in the appreciation of literature and his own writing. They share a fear and dislike for their grandfather and a love for their gentle, dominated mother.

When Eugene is 16 and Bill is 20, they happen upon a girl named Ligeia, who is living with her right-wing aunt and uncle after being banished by her parents for embracing the counterculture movement of the late 1960s, drugs and sex. Unfortunately, both boys fall under her spell; however, Bill's is short-lived as he goes on to medical school and a successful career as a surgeon. Eugene's infatuation extends to stealing drugs from his grandfather's medical practice for Ligeia.

Fast forward nearly 50 years, and Eugene is a raging alcoholic who has lost everything that meant anything to him.
When a skeleton is found and identified as Ligeia, both brothers are under scrutiny.

I love the setting of Asheville and the references to Thomas Wolfe and his wonderful book, Look Homeward Angel. Ron Rash is a gifted writer, making the characters, the place and the "Age of Aquarius" come to life.… (mais)

I've been aware of Ron Rash for several years now as one of the foremost Southern writers of our time, and now I've finally managed to read one of his books, an early one I found in a used book store. And THE WORLD MADE STRAIGHT (2006) is, I have to tell you, one helluva ride, and presented in some of the most exquisite, poetic prose I've read in years. It is a very Southern coming of age tale, set in North Carolina, with its seventeen year-old protagonist, Travis Shelton, a high school dropout, who runs afoul of Carlton Toomey, a vicious local drug lord, is kicked out of his home by his tobacco farming father, and finds refuge in the rundown trailer home of Leonard Shuler, a disgraced former teacher who sells beer and pills to underage kids. Under Leonard's care and tutelage, and encouraged by a new girlfriend, Travis gradually begins to see a way out of the dead end life of gritty poverty which is so evident all around him. There is also an historical angle here, as Leonard, a very bookish type who came from a background as poor as Travis's, is studying the journals of a great-great grandfather, A doctor in the Civil War who was party to a local massacre that continues to resonate in smoldering resentment among the victims' families. And just when it seems Travis has turned his life around, one night of impulsive anger and violence brings him full circle to face the vengeful rage of Carlton Toomey, threatening to bring all of his dreams come crashing down. Indeed the last fifty-plus pages had me literally sitting up straight, on the edge of my recliner reading as fast as I could. I mean this Ron Rash really is GOOD! Fortunately I have another of his books, SERENA, waiting on my pile. (And, incidentally, both this book and SERENA have been adapted to films too.) Because now that I've finally "discovered" this guy, I know I'll definitely be seeking out his other stuff. This one gets my very highest recommendation.

- Tim Bazzett, author of the memoir, BOOKLOVER… (mais)

This novel, set in North Carolina in the early 1950s, examines love (familial, passionate, friendship) in its many forms.

Jacob Hampton marries 16-year-old Naomi Clarke against his parents’ wishes. As a result, he is disinherited. Shortly after their elopement, Jacob is conscripted and sent to Korea. Before he leaves, Jacob asks his best friend, Blackburn Gant, to look after Naomi in his absence, especially because she is pregnant. When his parents learn that their son has been injured, they devise a devious plan to keep Jacob and Naomi apart when he returns to the U.S.

The title is perfect. Blackburn is the caretaker of a cemetery. Disfigured by polio, he is spurned or ridiculed by most members of the community so he is very much a loner. Jacob is his only real friend. Blackburn takes his job seriously; he is meticulous in his caretaking of the dead: “Small acts of respect mattered.” He is also a caretaker of the living: “Caretaking was a duty to the living and the dead.” As friendless as she is, Blackburn forms a bond with Naomi and helps her to prepare for the birth of her child. After a nasty altercation with Mr. Hampton, Blackburn takes Naomi back to eastern Tennessee to live with her father. When Jacob returns from Korea, Blackburn supports his friend.

Blackburn may be a social outcast, but he is an admirable man. He is dependable, loyal, honest, and trustworthy – truly a man of honour. A target of intolerance, his typical reaction is to just walk away. He has wisdom as well. In one conversation, Jacob comments that “’to love a person enough that you’d want them to love someone else instead of you . . . that’s hard.’” Blackburn responds, “’Maybe it ain’t about having to make a choice which person you love . . . Maybe a heart’s big enough for both.’” His actions prove that Blackburn does indeed possess a big heart.

There is considerable suspense. With its forbidden love and star-crossed lovers vibe, the book will remind readers of Romeo and Juliet. Will Jacob and Naomi’s story end in a similar tragedy? Jacob’s parents, the town’s most prominent couple, possess an arrogance bordering on hubris. They use their power and money to threaten others to get what they want. Believing they know what is best for their son, they give little consideration to what would best make him happy. Will justice prevail or will Jacob unknowingly be manipulated into the life his parents want for him?

The book is not without some flaws. Though the motivations of the characters are clearly detailed, the scheme to keep Jacob and Naomi apart is a bit over-the-top and requires some suspension of disbelief. Their hatred of Naomi seems excessive. Jacob’s inaction on his return seems out of character. And the ending feels abrupt and too pat.

Despite these weaknesses, I recommend the book. It examines what love is and what it is not in an engaging way with a sympathetic main character. I’m sufficiently impressed that I’ll be checking out the author’s previous novels.

Note: Please check out my reader's blog (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/) and follow me on Twitter (https://twitter.com/DCYakabuski).… (mais)