Buster Midnight's Cafe [Large Print] [Library Binding]

Sandra Dallas (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2004

May Anna Kovacks was discovered on the dustry streets of Butte, Montana and went on to become a Hollywood star. War, fame, marriage, love, and heartbreak came and went. What never changed was the bond she shared with her two best friends, Effa Commander and Whippy Bird. When scandal, murder, and betrayal made a legend of May Anna, only Effa and Whippy Bird could set the record straight.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Narrator Effa Commander's rollicking reminiscences about movie star Marion Street and her devoted lover, champion boxer Buster Midnight, are recounted in a sharp and snappy voice that captures the reader's interest on the very first page of this amusing novel. Effa Commander and lifelong friend Whippy Bird shared childhood, adolescence, Prohibition and many other experiences with Marion and Buster in their hometown of Butte, Mont. They also know much more about the Hollywood scandal called the "Love Triangle Murder" than ever got into the papers, and Effa Commander has decided to vindicate her friends' misrepresented lives. Dallas's first novel depicts a remarkable cluster of enduring friendships that may strike the modern urban reader as implausible, but accurately reflect the flavor of a small town and its inbred relationships. If the denouement seems predictable, Dallas, whose work calls to mind Fannie Flagg's Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle-Stop Cafe , is nonetheless a stylist to be reckoned with.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

YA-- A story of three tough, courageous women who stuck together. Effa Commander is now in her 70s but she vividly remembers her youth, growing up in Butte, Montana with her best friends Whippy Bird and May Anna. May Anna eventually goes to Hollywood and becomes a famous movie star and is involved in a notorious murder trial after her boyfriend, the heavyweight boxer Buster Midnight, kills a British actor, ending both the actor's career and his own. May Anna never forgets her friends, however, and sends flowers when Effa Commander's babies die and she loses her husband in the war. Whippy Bird's husband dies in that same war. Effa Commander paints a colorful, humorous, almost innocent picture of Montana, prohibition, and early Hollywood. A book that is truly offbeat but appealing. --Diana C. Hirsh, Prince George's County Memorial Library System, MD

Copyright 1990 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Library Binding: 304 pages
• Publisher: Center Point Pub (January 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1585473812
• ISBN-13: 978-1585473816
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,246,006 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Prize-winning author Sandra Dallas was dubbed "a quintessential American voice" by Jane Smiley, in Vogue Magazine. Sandra's novels with their themes of loyalty, friendship, and human dignity have been translated into a dozen foreign languages and have been optioned for films.

A journalism graduate of the University of Denver, Sandra began her writing career as a reporter with Business Week. A staff member for twenty-five years (and the magazine's first female bureau chief,) she covered the Rocky Mountain region, writing about everything from penny-stock scandals to hard-rock mining, western energy development to contemporary polygamy. Many of her experiences have been incorporated into her novels.

While a reporter, she began writing the first of ten nonfiction books. They include Sacred Paint, which won the National Cowboy Hall of Fame Western Heritage Wrangler Award, and The Quilt That Walked to Golden, recipient of the Independent Publishers Assn. Benjamin Franklin Award.

Turning to fiction in 1990, Sandra has published nine novels, including Whiter Than Snow, and the New York Times best seller Prayers for Sale. Sandra is the recipient of the Women Writing the West Willa Award for New Mercies, and two-time winner of the Western Writers of America Spur Award, for The Chili Queen and Tallgrass. In addition, she was a finalist for the Colorado Book Award, the Mountain and Plains Booksellers Assn. Award, and a four-time finalist for the Women Writing the West Willa Award.

The mother of two daughters--Dana is an attorney in New Orleans and Povy is a photographer in Golden, Colorado--Sandra lives in Denver with her husband, Bob.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Gamut of Emotions and a Whole Lot of Fun, January 28, 2000

By 

Maralin (Long Island, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Buster Midnight's Cafe (Paperback)

Everyone will love Buster Midnight's Cafe. I found this book while browsing the Contemporary Literature section of a bookstore in Manhattan and was intrigued by both it's title and it's cover. I was so engrossed in the story from the very start that I was regretful each time my train arrived to or from work.

Sandra Dallas' use of the vernacular and her unique ability to make us laugh and cry while maintaining the suspense of the story was heartwarming. You will come to love every character in this book for who they are and for the very special relationship they share.

Set in a coal mining town, Butte, Montana, beginning at the end of the depression and continuing through WWII, these characters are down to earth, imperfect and lovable. Sandra Dallas has an uncanny way of telling her story and everyone I have recommended this book to has returned to me with thanks for the recommendation and as much love for the story as I had.

I read it three times and I'm looking forward to reading it again.

You may also want to read Dallas', "The Diary of Mattie Spencer" which I also found compelling. Her, "Persian Pickle Club" failed to hold my attention though. But SIX stars for Buster and Mattie!

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a favorite, June 26, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Buster Midnight's Cafe (Paperback)

I have read The Persian Pickle Club, The Diary of Mattie Spencer and finally Buster Midnight's Cafe. They were all terrific but Buster Midnight's Cafe is my favorite. I laughed and cried and hated for the book to end. Sandra Dallas has written a wonderful book about life-long friendships that grow stonger despite life's hardships. The character Effa Commander writes and reflects back on growing up in the small town of Butte and the different paths taken by those in her group of friends. The support and love they have for one another is unconditional and never ending. A truly enjoyable read!

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent book, well paced, easy reading, April 28, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Montana) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Buster Midnight's Cafe (Paperback)

Sandra Dallas does a wonderful job of engaging the reader in this work, keeps the pace lively yet does not invite you to jump ahead. Set in Butte, MT, the story is about three girls (The Unholy Three) growing up in the hell-roaring days of mining in Montana. The relationships forged become life long friendships, strained and estranged by hard life, war, and death. One of the three becomes a teen prostitute and goes on to movie stardom. The touching account of the lives and relationships between these girls will make you laugh and make you cry. Anyone from Montana or familiar with Butte should enjoy this book. An excellent use of the language from Butte and accurate depictions of the characters. Native to Montana and married to a daughter of the Anaconda company, I gotta say both my wife and I loved this book!