Doc Holliday. To most of us, it’s a name out of legend. The Wild West. The Shootout at the O.K. Corral. Wyatt Earp. But there’s a real man behind the myth and in this work of fiction, author Mary Doria Russell tries to find him. I must admit upfront that the O.K. Corral, etc. is […]
Lee Smith’s Oral History meanders through about three generations of Cantrells, an Appalachian family. The lynchpin of their history is Red Emmy, a woman named as a witch by the earlier generation. We’re not told much about Red Emmy in the story. She might be present for about 20 pages. But she sets her mark […]
In Larry McMurtry’s Lonesome Dove, Captain Augustus “Gus” McCrae, late of the Texas Rangers, has retired to life on a cattle ranch. His partner, Captain Woodrow Call, does all the work and Gus does all the drinking and talking. Gus is happy that way and, truth be told, so is Captain Call. Gus sits around […]
Enzo, the narrator of The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein, is a dog. But not just any dog; he believes that he has gained the wisdom to come back in his next life as a man. I agree. If anything, he’s probably too wise to be one of us. I loved […]
How the world sees Scarlett I intended to write about a different character this week, but I hated to throw such a sweet guy into the mix of my Banned Books Week celebration, so I’m going with that minx, Scarlett O’Hara. I just cannot figure out how I feel about her. I’m still trying to […]
Briar Wilkes from Cherie Priest’s Boneshaker just tries to keep her head down and feed herself and her teenage son. The problem is, her life is overshadowed by her relationships to a couple of Seattle’s most (in)famous figures. First of all, there’s her father, Maynard. He’s a legend for going back into the city during […]
CeeCee Honeycutt. Bless her heart. She’s only twelve years old and her Mama’s crazy as a bedbug. She runs around town in old pageant dresses and tiaras, making a laughingstock of herself. She’s living in 1951 when she was the Vidalia Onion Queen and isn’t taking care of her daughter; CeeCee is the caregiver in […]
Oooh, Cal Morrisey. *sigh* The leading man in Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie, Cal is a dreamboat. Yes, it’s an old-fashioned word but that’s what he is. He’s good-looking, he’s effortlessly charming, he owns a successful business, he’s a great cook and a loyal friend… He has it all. But the charm is more out […]
Karou, the main character in Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke and Bone, is a 17-year-old girl attending an arts school in Prague. She has funky blue hair; a short and awesomely sarcastic best friend; a beautiful, arrogant ex-boyfriend; amazing artistic ability; and a double life. Karou carries around a sketchbook with her wherever she goes […]
So we already know that I love Scout and Atticus. After my most recent re-read of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, I realized that I’ve never fully appreciated Jem. The book covers a pivotal few years in Jem’s life, between the ages of roughly 10 and 13. Those are some pretty formative years […]
Eleanor Vance is kind of the main character in The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. While I can’t really bring myself to recommend the book, Eleanor is a fascinating character. Eleanor is a fairly young woman (I want to say she’s 30-ish) who’s never had the opportunity to be young. Her mother was […]