I feel bad about having a low opinion of this novel, since Ferrol Sams is a local legend, and a really great guy. I go to a bluegrass festival every year in the Ferrol Sams auditorium in Fayette County. But, as a novel, this book doesn't really work. Sams is a great storyteller. Pick any chapter and you have a wonderful story.
Taken as a whole though, it lacks any overarching plot. It's a coming of age story that tries to emphasize the relationship (or non-relationship) between the son and his father. It falls short of being cohesive.
The narrator also intrudes. The "psychic distance" is great. I feel like Sams is standing beside me, telling the story,, shining a flashliht on the characters. that's not a good thing.
But, if you want a picture of life in the rural south between the wars, and you like great anecdotes, this is a good place to get those things.
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