A sweet, southern story with a touch of crazy, odd behavior. John Girlie, an LSU football star, forgoes pro football after graduation to return to Old Field, Louisiana at his mother’s insistence. Since his father abandoned the family years ago John’s mother has become possessive and eccentric. His brother changes his name. They all live in the shadow of John’s grandfather, the corrupt late Senator Jason Girlie. John falls for a woman he meets in a graveyard.

It’s a pretty good story with some nice writing. A favorite sentence: “Bubba’s food was rotten and worked over your system with all the punch and fury of a dirty prizefighter.” ( )