From Publishers Weekly: A modern-day Don Quixote who finds redemption and simple pleasures even in a lifetime of disappointments, Jacko Lee is one unlikely hero readers will root for. Vietnam veteran, fervent animal lover and self-proclaimed "thinking man," Jacko is an expressive, albeit sweetly simpleminded, reporter of the goings-on in his downtrodden Arizona hometown. He lives in a box in a homeless compound near a truckstop and spends his days wandering the desert along highway I-10, sometimes accompanied by his buddy Sonny Ray, other times on a lone but eventful pilgrimage. He conscientiously visits his grandma's grave to have a chat with her and listen to the other dead people; looks after Norton, his pet spider, but woefully misses his old dog, Corky; and stops by the local junkyard to look for treasures, and the town strip joint, Slammers, to catch a glimpse of the pretty ladies in lingerie. Besides these routine adventures, Jacko also befriends a troubled, low-end hooker, Darla, and sets out to avenge the death of a man whose body he discovered along the highway. Confident that he can take care of himself, Jacko persistently but ineffectively tries to fend off his concerned sister, Marie. But Marie has other worries: her cop boyfriend Salazar, with a passion for horses; her drug-dealing ex-boyfriend Rosario, with a passion for guns; and her terror of aging. As Marie frets about getting old and Jacko is haunted by the ghostly memory of his mad, obsessive mother, the fear of death metaphorically darts through the narrative as the yellow ribbon snake. This first novel is a vividly poignant inside look at the disenfranchised and marginalized people on the fringe of society, among whom the wandering hero manages to find some peace at last. (Feb.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
A modern-day Don Quixote who finds redemption and simple pleasures even in a lifetime of disappointments, Jacko Lee is one unlikely hero readers will root for. Vietnam veteran, fervent animal lover and self-proclaimed "thinking man," Jacko is an expressive, albeit sweetly simpleminded, reporter of the goings-on in his downtrodden Arizona hometown. He lives in a box in a homeless compound near a truckstop and spends his days wandering the desert along highway I-10, sometimes accompanied by his buddy Sonny Ray, other times on a lone but eventful pilgrimage. He conscientiously visits his grandma's grave to have a chat with her and listen to the other dead people; looks after Norton, his pet spider, but woefully misses his old dog, Corky; and stops by the local junkyard to look for treasures, and the town strip joint, Slammers, to catch a glimpse of the pretty ladies in lingerie. Besides these routine adventures, Jacko also befriends a troubled, low-end hooker, Darla, and sets out to avenge the death of a man whose body he discovered along the highway. Confident that he can take care of himself, Jacko persistently but ineffectively tries to fend off his concerned sister, Marie. But Marie has other worries: her cop boyfriend Salazar, with a passion for horses; her drug-dealing ex-boyfriend Rosario, with a passion for guns; and her terror of aging. As Marie frets about getting old and Jacko is haunted by the ghostly memory of his mad, obsessive mother, the fear of death metaphorically darts through the narrative as the yellow ribbon snake. This first novel is a vividly poignant inside look at the disenfranchised and marginalized people on the fringe of society, among whom the wandering hero manages to find some peace at last. (Feb.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Kirkus Reviews
Strongly written but demanding first novel, half of which is told in the voice or mind of a mentally disabled man, though without the hard-to-grasp flourishes of Benjy, the character who opens The Sound and the Fury. Jacko is a Vietnam vet, yet how he had got into the army will stump the reader for many pages. Author Dailey, a certified substance-abuse counselor in Vail, Arizona, has both Jacko and his caretaking sister, Marie, who is not retarded, speak/write in a highly expressive style: She can see her lover's words as ``maybe pale yellow or faded orange. They float around the inside of the cab of his pickup until they seep out through the crack in the side wing.'' Jacko lives with none-too-bright Sonny Ray in a wooden box near a desert truck stop. Nights in the box can be freezing, and there's no room for the dog Jacko longs for. The yellow ribbon snake of the title is literally a yellow ribbon with which young Jacko's crazy mother used to blind, bind, and sexually abuse him. When Jacko's grandmother took offense at this, Mother disappeared. Grandma, who has died, lived in a three-story house that is fenced off for demolition. But Jacko hangs out there, much as Benjy hangs out by the golf course looking for his caretaker sister, Candace. Marie has left her gun-carrying drug-dealer boyfriend Rosario and now lives with Salazar, a law officer of granite face and less humor. Jacko, meanwhile, loves Norton, his spider, grieves for his dead dog Corky, and likes to sit by the corpse of his old friend Pitts, which he and Sonny Ray have found wired to a mesquite tree. Very, hmm, Faulknerian. The end is an adaptation of ``A Rose for Emily''if not Psycho. Even so, an altogether welcome work with a terrific grip on the English language. -- Copyright ©2000, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Superb,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Yellow Ribbon Snake (Paperback)
This small volume speaks of tortured childhood and the tragedy of homelessness. It also rings with truth through many-sided characters. Worth taking a second read, too. The language is perfect for the characters, and they stay with you after you're done.
5.0 out of 5 stars
off the wall and off the charts,
By Tim Freeze (Baltimore,MD) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Yellow Ribbon Snake (Paperback)
I was browsing the library for something different to read and the front cover of this book caught my eye. I'm glad it did. This book is weird,funny, real, sexual, and just down right great.Does she have anything else in print?
5.0 out of 5 stars
The debut novel of an impressive literary talent.,
By Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Yellow Ribbon Snake (Paperback)
Jacko Lee is a homeless vet, simple-minded, sexually abused by his mother, shellshocked by the Vietnam War, Jacko has returned to the desert cross-roads community where he grew up, lives in a makeshift box, and tries to understand his past. Jacko has surrounded himself with an odd assortment of friends including Sonny Ray (a drifter), Darla (a hooker), Pitts (a corpse); and Norton (a spider). His friends come and go, but Jacko remains, determined to solve the murder mystery of his past and find the means to his own redemption. Jacko's principle source of support is his older half-sister, Marie. She'll will fight anyone in defense of her brother, even to the pint of neglecting her own need for love and tenderness. The Yellow Ribbon Snake is author J.R. Dailey's highly recommended debut novel of quirky characters, danger, death, sex, murder, abuse, insanity, love, compassion, humor, wisdom, and the enduring human spirit.
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