Harley Cain strokes
his .45 automatic. He’s decided life isn’t worth living. The gun
will make a quick end to it. He raises the gun testing the feel
against his temple. Before he can pull the trigger, he hears
screaming tires and a crash. He races across his front yard and finds
a destroyed pickup truck. A fifteen-year-old boy is slumped against
the wheel. He’s drunk, but not badly hurt. When Harley gets him
into the house and cleaned up, the boy admits he too wanted to commit
suicide.
This encounter
changes their lives. The boy stays with Harley and an enduring
friendship is born. The background is West Texas, an area where
cowboys ride horses, thieves steal horses, and riding through the
landscape encourages thoughts about how life works. Harley is a fount
of homely wisdom. As the pair ride and encounter danger, they realize
how sensible his aphorisms are.
The characters,
Harley, and the boy, Dodger, are very alive. They feel like real
people. It’s a coming of age story, and a story of an old man
helping a boy find a place in life. The descriptions of West Texas
form a background that is atmospheric and gives substance to the
story.
I enjoyed the book
and recommend it if you enjoy character driven novels with a plot
that pulls you into the action.
I received this book
from Turner Publishing for this review.
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