For want of a better place to live
There’s nothing like a good book, I say. I’m a consumer of popular (and populist) literature; no sense in dusting off the classics when there is a bountiful harvest of efforts from young, new authors out there. The blurbs on the back cover used to be enough, but some publishers have opted out of that aid. Somehow, a shot of the scribe isn’t enough.
One of the less expensive places to acquire new books (in the vernacular, a cheap way) is the share shelf in our office building. You have too many books at home, so many that you’ve lost sight of the floor? Time to fill up a bag and contribute to the communal library. This week I pulled a paperback from the pile that came with the banner “Oprah’s Book Club”. I’m not one that requires a famous person to vet my choices, but this time the story was actually worth the read.
Where The Heart Is, by Billie Letts, opens with a young woman driving across the midwestern United States. Through a caprice, she is abandoned in the local Walmart in a small Oklahoma town. Where, for lack of a better choice, she takes up residence. The trap is set.
I’ve heard of people spending inordinate amounts of time in their local box store, and some branches even go for the 24/7 model, but my own visits have never dragged on past the 90 minutes mark. To actually move in, find a place to sleep comfortably and eat healthy meals seems to be a true survival challenge. Our protagonist, who is “with child” manages nicely.
The story doesn’t end here, but it’s more fun to read a good book than to have someone else condense the story line down to consommé. My advice is simple. This book qualifies as a fine read.
