Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, July 16, 1995 TAG: 9507150014
SECTION: HORIZON PAGE: F-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: REVIEWED BY MARY ANN JOHNSON
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
In his new novel, Clyde Edgerton leaves the South, his usual subject, and turns his attention westward. Many of his characters originally hail from North Carolina, but they have settled in the small community of Mumford Rock, Colo. It is the turn of the century and the West is still wild.
P.J. Copeland, an enterprising saddle and furniture maker, aspires to establish a mortuary and become an embalmer of renown. He is encouraged by Billy Blankenship, an indefatigable promoter who sees the business possibilities in any and every event. Along with his wife and children, P.J.'s household includes his eccentric and wizened mother; Bumpy, a youngster who, years before, fell from a passing wagon train; and beautiful Starr, the genteel niece recently graduated from North Carolina Women's College.
Important also are Cobb Pittman, bounty hunter, and his outlaw dog, Redeye. The Indians believe an evil spirit shines through the mongrel's red eye, and indeed, Redeye will viciously attack other creatures, man or beast - sometimes on Cobb's command but often on whim. Cobb uses him to exact revenge on a Mormon band for its role in the Mountain Meadows Massacre of 1857 in which whole families of innocent pioneers were killed.
This is the serious backdrop to what is, in places, a very funny book.
Edgerton is adept at narrative voice and he lets his story unfold in the various viewpoints of different characters. Careful artlessness marks the dialogue. The reader is taken into the story as a tourist on a tour of Mesa Largo; the voice of the guide relates the historical account of the Eagle City Shootout of 1892 while the facts are given life by the characters. It is an inventive device that Edgerton uses effectively.
I wonder where he will tun his attention next. I wonder whom he will meet and what tales those folks will tell.
Mary Ann Johnson teaches at Roanoke College.
by CNB