When a knock on the door interrupts her nightly escape into the
pages of a cheap romance, Midge, aka Beatrice Audra Smith, is
understandably annoyed. Paperback romances may not be the world's
best protection against the "lonelies," but what else is a 4'11,"
87 pound, 30 1/4 year-old dreamer to do in the middle of the
Enchantment Trailer Park in Santa Fe? Enter Horace Decker, out on
parole and in every sense a getaway man. He explains his presence
outside Midge's trailer as easily as he will capture her heart: "I
got paroled two hours ago. Jake said he got this cute little
sister. Said to look you up." So what if the most memorable thing
Jake ever did for his sister was strand her in a darkened church
after stealing a sacred statue. Maybe this ex-con is just what
Midge needs to forget the recent loss of her pet prairie dog. "Well
come on in then," she says. "Any cellmate of Jake's is a cellmate
of mine." Lucky for Midge. And for Decker. And especially for the
reader. For the story of what happens when these two discover each
other is by turns exhilarating and sad, humorous and heartwarming,
and always engaging. Set largely at the local race track, the
adventures of Midge and Decker remind us that breaking even in life
not only involves time, but luck, as well. Sometimes it's a matter
of finding the right person. Or the right place. Or even the right
horse, as Midge will realize after placing a most unusual bet: if
Blue Lady wins the Unicorn Handicap, Decker will finally settle
down, marry Midge, and give his name to the unborn child she
carries by him. If Blue Lady loses, Decker can run away yet again.
Though made impulsively, Midge's wager quickly looms larger and
larger in her mind. The fate of those things that have outlived
their usefulness-old dolls and old horses that just cannot
run-disturbs Midge, forcing her to act as a kind of savior. Her
knack for turning discarded losing tickets into a winning system
demonstrates that salvation is indeed possible in some cases. The
road to maturity is a long one, certainly longer than the race Blue
Lady will run at the Downs, and sacrifices have to be made along
the way. But maturity need not spell the end of innocence. While
Midge learns that toughness is indispensable for daily survival
(she agrees with Decker's characteristically succinct assessment of
human existence: "Ain't nobody gets a free ride"), she retains her
own special innocence that gains charm through her acquired
strength. And for all his gruffness, Decker, too, possesses a
youthful tenderness. Like memories of childhood and first romance,
the effect of Midge and Decker endures. It is an unusual love story
that is profoundly human. It will make you laugh. It will make you
cry. Most of all you will find Midge and her story completely
irresistible.
General
Imprint: |
Speaking Volumes, LLC
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Release date: |
March 2011 |
First published: |
March 2011 |
Authors: |
Robert Mayer
|
Dimensions: |
229 x 152 x 17mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Paperback - Trade
|
Pages: |
290 |
ISBN-13: |
978-1-61232-050-2 |
Categories: |
Books >
Fiction >
General & literary fiction >
Modern fiction
|
LSN: |
1-61232-050-3 |
Barcode: |
9781612320502 |
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