Customer Reviews

St. Dale

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Like some of the other reviewers, I hesitated before reading this book. I'm not particularly interested in racing but I knew enough about it to know that I don't care for Dale Earnhardt. But somehow, I started reading it and let me tell you, it is GOOD!!

The wide variety of characters and we learn about all of them during the trip. From the elderly couple where the wife has Alzheimer's to the young couple who gets married at the race track and spends their honeymoon on the tour. Terence Palmer who is trying to find a link with his dead father. The small child, Matthew, who is very ill. The very opposite 3 sisters and the former racer tour guide. They all come together beautifully as their stories are told.

And along with that - the racing trivia (dare I say trivia in regard to racing?). From how drivers get to the track, how ancient Romans kept score during the chariot races, what do idiots think NASCAR stands for and who the drivers talk to on their headsets. It's all very interesting. And it all fits into the storyline beautifully.

By the end of the book, I felt I knew and really liked these people and I certainly knew more about racing history.

Give it a try - you may be surprised.

If it weren't for the name "Sharyn McCrumb", I would not have picked up this book. But I am truly glad I did. Nothing at all like her Ballad series, except in its excellence, this book leaves the mountains and heads off to the NASCAR circuit, of all unexpected things! McCrumb, to the great benefit of her readers, has been stretching herself of late.

The first annual Dale Earnhardt Memorial Pilgrimage has attracted quite a variety of folks, from an Episcopal priest escorting a dying boy, a couple who marry at the first speedway, and a New York stockbroker, to a woman who thinks Dale's ghost fixed her car on a deserted country road. Their guide is a former NASCAR driver looking to get back in the game. As their bus wends it way from Bristol to Daytona, they, like certain more famous pilgrims, tell stories, and find out about each other and themselves.

McCrumb's usual excellent characterizations, as she delves into the question of what makes a secular saint. Why are there Elvis sightings, and not John Lennon sightings? Why did so many people care when Princess Diana died? It was not her intent to write a book about Earnhardt; indeed, she was not a NASCAR fan. But the outpouring of grief at his death, his canonization as a secular saint, made him a good focus for the book had in mind on that subject. I don't know if she intended it or not, but she is also writing about class and regional prejudice in America.

You don't need to be a NASCAR fan to enjoy this book, but it couldn't hurt.

I know, I know, you are thinking, "NASCAR? No way!" So did I. Let me assure you, this is one of her best, or maybe even *the* best, and I never thought anything could beat THE ROSEWOOD CASKET. Her same superb character depictions are there, the same sub-plots subtly woven together; the twist, the thing that is so *new* about this venture, is the allegorical theme. This one, like so many of her others, leaves you thinking about things for days afterwards, and pondering your own heroes and objects of worship. It's *that* good.
What I want to know is, why are her McPherson novels not listed in the front of this one, along with her Appalachian books? They are not cast-off children!

I had been talking about St. Dale to some of my more difficult fifth grade boys. As a teacher, I thought if I could find some common ground, I may be able to win them over.

I had forgotten our conversations until several weeks later, one of the boys said, "I read the book."

I wasn't really paying attention to what he was saying and asked him what book he was talking about.

He said, "The one about Earnhardt... St. Dale. I bought it. I liked it."

Now this boy probably never read a book in his life that wasn't required for a book report and never one 300 pages long. Not even Harry Potter!

I always read McCrumb's books at least twice. First, for the story and then I go back and savor the words, pealing back the layers of the story, searching for the messages she always leaves for those smart enough to look. Secular sainthood mixed with a rewrite of The Canterbury Tale?. Only McCrumb could come up with that!

Even if you aren't the least bit interested in NASCAR, this is still Sharyn McCrumb at her best. You will not be disappointed and may learn something in spite of yourself.

As a high school librarian I was intriqued by the idea of a retelling of the Canterbury Tales from the NASCAR/Dale Earnhardt point of view. You don't have to know anything about NASCAR to enjoy this book. You don't have to know anything about Canterbury Tales to enjoy this book either. It's another of the sometimes humorous/sometimes sad, well-researched books that McCrumb provides to her readers. We've all gone on pilgrimages...sometimes for reasons we can't explain to anyone else...sometimes for reasons we can't even explain to ourselves. You will enjoy getting to know these pilgrims & the reasons why they are taking this journey. If you have someone of your gift list who is a fan of NASCAR, they will enjoy this book. If you have someone who is interested in pilgrimages, another niche filled. If you just like a well-written story, BUY THIS BOOK! It's another wonderful read from a terrific writer who has two teen-agers getting ready for college so BUY THIS BOOK! You won't be disappointed.

Not interested in NASCAR? Neither was I, but I had read and liked some of McCrumb's books, so I tried it -- and was hooked. This is the story of how a diverse group of pilgrims, met to honor a seemingly unlikely "saint," make spiritual journeys of their own and learn to help one another along. The NASCAR background is well done and entertaining, but not obtrusive. You can read and enjoy this book, as I did, without knowing or caring anything about auto racing. (Although -- truth in advertising here -- it helped cause me to *get* interested.) But this is not "a book about NASCAR"; it is a book which uses NASCAR as a background, as the "Canterbury Tales" is not "a book about travel in medieval England."

By the way, there is a scene in the paperback edition which is not in the (first) hardback edition, and I think it is a good addition, since it fleshes out a plot line which was almost invisible in the hardback edition.

It's always great to be pleasantly surprised by a book that exceeds your expectations. As a big racing fan, I was intrigued by the idea of this book and picked it up knowing absolutely nothing about the author. My fear was that she would butcher the racing part of the book in telling a sappy story.

Thankfully I was wrong on both counts. It's a wonderful book about relationships and showcases beautiful characters. I don't always read uplifting books that put such a big smile on my face like this one did.

What made me even happier is that she did the racing parts right too. The book centers around a handful of people who are booked on a Dale Earnhardt rememberance tour. Along the way, they actually watch two races and visit a number of racetracks where they lay memorial wreaths in memory of the great racing legend. While that might sound stupid to some people, Dale Earnhardt's death had a profound effect on a large number of people. It's rare for a great sports star to die while he is still a competitor. It's much rarer when that star has such a bond with his fans and dies while in the actual act of competition. For many people who never met Dale Earnhardt, they still felt as if they knew him and they suffered a great loss when he was killed.

While this book touches on all of this, it does so in a way that also hones in on the important things in life such as our relationships with those we love. There are also a few passages that hint on religious devotion and faith and the impact of a "secular" saint such as Earnhardt. Thankfully, that isn't overdone in the book and is done just right as everything else is in the book.

I've never read anything else by Sharyn McCrumb but plan to change that in the near future, because I liked this book so much. I would recommend it to anyone, whether or not they are a racing fan.

but I believe this one is her best so far. I am not a NASCAR fan...I know absolutely nothing about racing but my son was a diehard Earnhardt fan. He'll be so proud of me for even reading this book.
I have a new respect for Dale's fans now and I was rivetted by the facts and figures that Harley was able to impart to his group..
It's a great read from cover to cover.

non fans as well. This book was devoured in a few hours. I respect Dale, but am not a huge fan. I am a "Flying Ryan" girl, but this book was a journey and I felt as if I were riding on the bus with the other tourists. Going to all the speedways, leaving a wreath at each one in his memory, plus going on a journey in their lives, each coming to realization about something.

A book you will not want to miss. This is my first book by this author, but it won't be my last. I heard about it on TV, and couldn't wait to purchase it. I see lots of reviews aren't even NASCAR fans, but they still enjoyed the book. It gives lots of history about NASCAR, and makes good points that it isn't just driving in a circle for three hours.

Pick it up, you won't be sorry.

Unlike many reviewers who say they balked at reading a book about NASCAR, I am a proud fan of racing and, because I have a master's degree in English, I appreciate good writing. So when this book was discussed on our local NPR station I ran right out and got a copy. I was not disappointed. In fact, I am encouraging all of my friends who think I am a little warped for watching the races to read it and get some insight into why we race fans love the sport so much.
I have never read anything by Sharyn McCrumb until now and I enjoy her style. Her exploration of hero worship in the form of Dale Earnhardt is thought-provoking and I like how she framed the story using the Canterbury Tales structure. The characters are diverse and interesting - especially the couple who get married at Bristol.
I hope this book opens some minds to the idea that you can love NASCAR and still be considered intelligent. McCrumb goes the extra mile in trying to get past the stereotype and I hope her readers will too.