Sharon Sala has once again proven that she is among the
top in her field as a best-selling author with her latest work, Whippoorwill. While
Sala takes a departure from her usual offerings with this novel, her daring has paid off
in this wonderfully witty yet thought-provoking tale of the Old West, the world’s
oldest profession and lost souls seeking everything from acceptance to redemption to love.
Letty
Murphy is a prostitute by trade and a woman yearning for love by nature, who passes her
days working at the White Dove Saloon in God-forsaken Lizard Flats. Another lost soul and
town drunk Eulis Potter cleans the saloon by night for a three-beer ration from the owner,
totes Letty’s bath water and digs graves by day when needed.
The
inhabitants of Lizard Flats come to life when they hear that a real preacher man is on his
way to marry their town banker and his sweetheart. Word of the preacher’s impending
arrival travels fast on the prairie and before you know it, Lizard Flats becomes a Mecca
of sorts to a handful of characters desperately in need of burying, marrying, christening
and redemption.
Only
problem is, when the preacher finally arrives, he succumbs to Letty’s charms and ends
up paying for his sin by dying in her bed. Fearful of being hanged and desperate for help,
Letty turns to the unlikely Eulis. Before he can even sober up and see straight, he finds
himself posing as the good reverend himself. And so it is that two of the most
looked-down-upon citizens of Lizard Flats become its very hope for their dreams and
desires. Whether the two of them can pull off the deception before the truth is discovered
is the question.
Ms. Sala
excels in creating wonderful characters and compelling plot lines. With Whippoorwill, she
has outdone herself. Mountain men, gunfighters, dirt-poor farmers and ranchers add
colorful sub-plots and detail to this endearing tale, and each of them and their stories
could become a novel in itself. And while the style and plotline of this offering from Ms.
Sala may prove a departure from her norm, her readers will certainly not be disappointed
– Whippoorwill is one of her best!
Reviewed
by Denise M. Clark 2/03
Denise’s
Pieces Author Site & Book Reviews
http://www.denisemclark.com |
