From Publishers Weekly
Bodett, Alaskan humorist ( The End of the Road ), returns to the old garage in the small Alaskan town of End of the Road, a local landmark where the colorful characters in this miscellany gather to tell and retell their stories. The town has grown somewhat--now there's a town hall, a mayor and a few cafes--but the garage is still the place for gossip. We learn of the unlikely romance of some oldsters--the junkyard king and the town's confirmed spinster--and observe the puppy loves of younger generations. We follow the struggle of a couple trying to rebuild their house according to very different mental pictures. Sadness permeates the little community's rallying around a favorite son who loses his arm in a tractor accident. The stories, like the characters, are plain and simple, evocative of life in a frontier state. Readers will place Bodett, a radio personality, in the company of such commentators on Americana as Garrison Keillor. First serial to Redbook; author tour.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
YA-- Bodett, public radio commentator and the voice of Motel 6, has written another book about the folks in End of the Road. Meeting his characters is like meeting people in a small town with real-life pleasures and problems. Junkyard owner Argus Winslow took 25 years to ask Ruby McClay for a date, and never understood the "indelicacy" of bringing rabbit stew to an annual Easter egg hunt. Emmit Frank, city manager, succumbs to the beauty and natural pleasures (fishing) of Alaska. Doug McDoogan's newfound success from the sale of wildlife wood carvings brings more money than he knows what to do with. Fritz Ferguson learns that quitting when the going gets rough doesn't solve problems. Ed Flannigan loses his arm in a bulldozer accident, remains strong for his family, but is able to deal with his real feelings through the support of a friend. YAs who like Garrison Keillor and Patrick McManus will enjoy this book.
- Carol Clark, R. E. Lee High School, Springfield, VA
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
- Carol Clark, R. E. Lee High School, Springfield, VA
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
