Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Day Eighty-One: "Cattle Haul" by Jesmyn Ward

Voice.

I haven't read a story in a long time where the voice was this good! WOW!

A young man hauls cattle cross country in order to make enough money to repair his well at his house. The story follows him in the present as he makes stop after stop on his journey but it also shows us glimpses into his past so the reader can understand why it is that this journey is perhaps different, a trip to end all road trips.

In a voice that is easily readable, authentic, and vivid, Jesmyn Ward keeps the reader locked into the story from the start. In the end, it's about the night, the drive, and the trip back home. Who is there waiting for the trucker to return? The reader is dying to know.

GREAT!!!!!

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