Pickard County Atlas: A Novel by Chris Harding Thornton sets up a story of decent people trying to make sense of the darker side of life in a 1970's, small Nebraska town. I am not familiar with Nebraska. I've never been there, and I don't know anyone from there. I have, however, now read this book and feel like I have pretty good grasp of the underbelly of this great state. Something about small towns and the seedy people living just below their surface translates across the board. But is it fair to call these folks seedy? None of Thornton's characters are whole, or completely faultless in this narrative. Trying to make sense of things, they turn in various degree to the underside in some form or the other. Drugs, sex, sloth. But without ill intentions. Even the story's main protagonist is not completely evil. As the author, Chris Harding Thornton, describes this one is "a slow burn." But boy does it burn! While this one took me a minute to get into, it had my attention from page one like a really long, lit fuse. Something about the way it unfolded kept me guessing. Tightly written and bound up. Anyone trying to get away from the hum-drum drum beat novels would love this one!
Comments
Post a Comment