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Letting Go of Bobby James: Or How I Found My Self of Steam

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Sally Jo (Jody) Walker is a young woman from Purley, Texas who seems to enjoy coleslaw --- so much so that she has to share her own special recipe with everyone. This appears to be the main subject of her letter to a businessman named Mr. Teeter. But LETTING GO OF BOBBY JAMES isn't just a simple commentary on what the best recipe for coleslaw is or the fine convenience of food markets. It's the story of how a young woman's determination to make a better life for herself unwittingly changes the lives of those around her.

Jody is only sixteen when she marries a young man named Bobby James. They met at a school dance, and it seemed to be love at first sight. They are now on vacation in Florida and Jody doesn't think life can get any better than this. But Jody's perspective on life changes drastically when Bobby slaps her and she hides in the gas station restroom. It is at this point that Jody decides to create a new future for herself --- without her husband.

After taking a bus to Jackson Beach and spending the night in a parked car, Jody begins searching for a job. She is hired as a dishwasher at Thelma's Open 24-Hour Cafe and Grill and becomes friends with a waitress named Marilyn. The only thing left for Jody to do is to find somewhere to sleep. She decides that the best place is the local cineplex. The next day she goes to a thrift shop to buy some work supplies and witnesses the plight of a weary cashier, who seems to be in a worse situation than Jody.

Jody later finds out just how bad the situation is. The girl is named Effaline; she is pregnant, living in a shabby apartment complex, and is currently unemployed. The two teens quickly become friends and Jody returns to the cineplex for the night. She writes a letter to her mother in the ladies' restroom and then goes to sleep in the theater. When she wakes up, she meets a sweeper named Dooley who is worried about losing his job, but wants to be Jody's friend nonetheless.

Jody slowly starts to form a new life and future for herself. At the same time, though, she's trying to deal with the unfortunate fact that the relationship with her family will never be the same again. She meets a few more interesting people and realizes how unique her life is becoming, especially when disaster strikes and Effaline, Dooley and Jody are faced with one of the greatest tests of all --- a test that, in the end, shows just how Jody found herself "full of steam."

LETTING GO OF BOBBY JAMES is a very good book that stresses the importance of each person's life, no matter how simple it may be. The story is poignant and funny, in terms of the relationships between Jody and her friends and co-workers. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading realistic fiction or has delved into Valerie Hobbs's work before. Just like Jody's coleslaw, you'll find yourself wanting more after the first taste.

--- Reviewed by Sarah Sawtelle (SdarksideG@aol.com)

16yr old Sally Jo (Jody) Walker is newly married to Bobby James. The two are away from their hometown of Purley, Texas, when Bobby James hits Jody for the first time. The next day he leaves Jody behind in a gas station with only $20 to her name. Rather then run back home, Jody finds her way to Jackson Beach, Florida. Jody's voice is sweet, honest, direct, real . I was quickly taken in with Jody's writing a letter to Mr. Harris Teeter.

"This is about the coleslaw. But first, I would like to take this opportunity to tell you how much we enjoyed the fine convenience of your food market in Perdido, Florida. Like I said to Bobby James, the coleslaw is probably just an oversight on your part. Still, I thought you'd want to hear about it. Bobby James said not to bother. An important personage like yourself would not take the time to read a letter from a plain out customer, he said. That was when I showed him your color ad in the Perdido News Press. Harris Teeter is waiting to hear from you."

In Florida, Jody finds a job and makes some friends. She thinks about her mother's marriage to her abusive father and her own relationship.

"Sometimes I thought I was stronger than my mama, that I would never let a man like daddy knock the fight out of me. Other times, I was not so sure. If I was back in Purley? And Bobby James came courting like he wasn't already a married man, with all those sweet promises and smelling like fresh aftershave? Well, I just didn't know for sure if I could turn him away. That was the shamefilled truth of it. Before I went back to Purley, I was going to have to find the strength in me. I didn't know exactly where to find it, or if I would know when I had it, but one thing was for sure. Letting go of Bobby James was for a reason. That morning in the Econo, I had listened to a voice deep inside me that I knew was the truth. It was only small then. It had been hiding behind Willie Nelson's words, whispering for me to stay put in the ladies. I figured when that voice got big enough to yell in my ear, well that was when I would have all my strength."

I am getting tired of these liberal authors writing books about southern characters. I knew from page one I wouldn't like this book. It's like a bad southern joke that never ends. The way the girl speaks is completely unreal. She talks like a backwoods hick from the 1930s. It's not common for 16 yr olds today in any part of the country to get married and leave high school. I'm sure it happens, but it's not something that's common in the south. The girl acts like a mental retarded 8 yr old. I am extremely angry that this author portrays a southern girl in this way as if it's typical. I can't believe the author actually gets pad to teach writing. Her skills are lacking. Her characters are phony. There is no depth in her writing. If you want to read a good book that has a similar story read Where the heart is.