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GroVont Triology #2
Sorrow Floats
Able storytelling and an engaging cast of dysfunctional modern American pilgrims animate this winning tale of the road. When tipsy, 23-year-old Maurey Pierce Talbot accidentally drives through her Wyoming town with her baby on the roof of her car, she realizes just how far she has sunk since her father's death left her distraught and almost unhinged. (She writes him daily picture postcards, knowing full well he is gone but unable to come to terms with her loss.)
After attempting suicide and being thrown out by her philandering husband, she meets Lloyd and Shane, two recovering alcoholics who have devised a scheme to smuggle Coors beer to the East Coast. Longing to be reunited with her eight-year-old daughter Shannon in North Carolina (Sandlin chronicled Shannon's birth in Skipped Parts ), Maurey decamps on an unlikely odyssey, pulling a horse trailer full of beer behind a broken-down old ambulance, sipping Yukon Jack from the bottle as her companions search for AA meetings. Maurey is not yet ready to deal with her alcoholism or her reluctance to be loved, but the hardships of the road and the bonds that unite this group of refugees (others join them along the way) will change that.
Maurey's wry, cocksure voice evokes both her cowgirl roots and the novel's '70s setting. Despite the bickering, sarcasm, cynicism and personal tragedy that season the lives of his colorful, credible characters, Sandlin fashions a convincing tale of redemption.
-Publishers Weekly
After attempting suicide and being thrown out by her philandering husband, she meets Lloyd and Shane, two recovering alcoholics who have devised a scheme to smuggle Coors beer to the East Coast. Longing to be reunited with her eight-year-old daughter Shannon in North Carolina (Sandlin chronicled Shannon's birth in Skipped Parts ), Maurey decamps on an unlikely odyssey, pulling a horse trailer full of beer behind a broken-down old ambulance, sipping Yukon Jack from the bottle as her companions search for AA meetings. Maurey is not yet ready to deal with her alcoholism or her reluctance to be loved, but the hardships of the road and the bonds that unite this group of refugees (others join them along the way) will change that.
Maurey's wry, cocksure voice evokes both her cowgirl roots and the novel's '70s setting. Despite the bickering, sarcasm, cynicism and personal tragedy that season the lives of his colorful, credible characters, Sandlin fashions a convincing tale of redemption.
-Publishers Weekly
416 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1992
18 people are currently reading
348 people want to read
About the author
Tim Sandlin
22 books150 followersTim Sandlin has published ten novels and a book of columns. He wrote eleven screenplays for hire; three have been made into movies. He turned forty with no phone, TV, or flush toilet and now he has all that stuff. Tim and his wife adopted a little girl from China. He is now living happily (indoors) with his family in Jackson, Wyoming.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
March 21, 2008
Its a real testament to Tim Sandlin that he can return to the territory of the wonderful Skipped Parts and write a sequal that lives up to its predecessor. Its even more remarkable that he can pick up the story 10 years later and from the point of view of Maurey Pierce, Sam Callahan's junior high love interest from Skipped Parts and still make it ring true.
This is a different type of book than Skipped Parts. Its considerably darker, due in no small part to Maurey's struggle with severe alcoholism. The characters in this installment, although no less colorful or multidimensional than those in the first book are leading more painful and more desperate lives. It has its funny moments, but Sorrow Floats is not a comedy.
Yet it is ultimately uplifting, although not always in the way you'd expect. Like most road stories, Maurey's journey is as much metaphorical as literal and along the way Sandlin really allows you to feel her anger, pain, confusion and tenderness. Of the three books in the GroVont trilogy, this is the most difficult and definitely the least fun, but in many ways its the most rewarding. Hats off to Sandlin.
This is a different type of book than Skipped Parts. Its considerably darker, due in no small part to Maurey's struggle with severe alcoholism. The characters in this installment, although no less colorful or multidimensional than those in the first book are leading more painful and more desperate lives. It has its funny moments, but Sorrow Floats is not a comedy.
Yet it is ultimately uplifting, although not always in the way you'd expect. Like most road stories, Maurey's journey is as much metaphorical as literal and along the way Sandlin really allows you to feel her anger, pain, confusion and tenderness. Of the three books in the GroVont trilogy, this is the most difficult and definitely the least fun, but in many ways its the most rewarding. Hats off to Sandlin.
August 26, 2014
Maurey Pierce Talbot is a pain in the ass. She's also an alcoholic. This second book in the GroVont series is told from her point of view. As obnoxious as she is, I've never cheered harder for a fictional character.
If you liked
, the first GroVont book, you'll probably like this one even more. I certainly did. The characters are varied and interesting, and alcohol isn't the only villain that Maurey has to deal with on this road trip from Wyoming to North Carolina.
If you liked
, the first GroVont book, you'll probably like this one even more. I certainly did. The characters are varied and interesting, and alcohol isn't the only villain that Maurey has to deal with on this road trip from Wyoming to North Carolina.
May 8, 2012
Eh. Not my favorite. I didn't like any character in it. As a child of an alcoholic I don't care for the excuses and relentless justification in drinking.
February 12, 2019
Skipped Parts was a great book. Sorrow Floats is even better. I think it helps that Maurey is a great character and I really wanted to see where she went after Skipped Parts was over, and well, I got what I asked for.
The basic plot follows Maurey, now in her early 20's, as her life falls apart after a particularly bad incident while drinking. The fallout from this incident leads her somehow to a deal to help transport a trailer full of Coors across the country with two former alcoholics. Of course, taking place in the early 70's the drive takes a good while and the things that happen to them along the way help mirror Maurey's continuing downfall.
It's really a very interesting read, watching this character falling further and further, denying the problems and doing what some alcoholics I've known have done in the face of the world around them pointing out their problems. It just feels very real when you get to some of the situations Maurey and the crew find themselves in.
I will say that this is a much darker read than Skipped Parts, and while I disagree with that book being listed as Young Adult to some degree anyways, well, this one is missing the tag for many reasons and probably isn't appropriate for the younger readers. It's a great read though, and I'm getting the feeling that this entire series is going to be one I recommend a lot when I finish the next two books (which won't take long I'm sure, these are addicting reads and it's a struggle for me to put them down when I need to).
The basic plot follows Maurey, now in her early 20's, as her life falls apart after a particularly bad incident while drinking. The fallout from this incident leads her somehow to a deal to help transport a trailer full of Coors across the country with two former alcoholics. Of course, taking place in the early 70's the drive takes a good while and the things that happen to them along the way help mirror Maurey's continuing downfall.
It's really a very interesting read, watching this character falling further and further, denying the problems and doing what some alcoholics I've known have done in the face of the world around them pointing out their problems. It just feels very real when you get to some of the situations Maurey and the crew find themselves in.
I will say that this is a much darker read than Skipped Parts, and while I disagree with that book being listed as Young Adult to some degree anyways, well, this one is missing the tag for many reasons and probably isn't appropriate for the younger readers. It's a great read though, and I'm getting the feeling that this entire series is going to be one I recommend a lot when I finish the next two books (which won't take long I'm sure, these are addicting reads and it's a struggle for me to put them down when I need to).
February 22, 2019
I picked up this book not realizing it was #2 of a trilogy. Wonderfully, the book can be read alone. This book was one of the best books I’ve ever read. Perfect amount of emotion, great character development and a story like that’s crazy but believable. Looking forward to reading the other two
December 25, 2021
Just as good, if not better than the first in the series
August 9, 2016
Bickering, Sarcasm, Banter and a Few Slaps in the Face on the Road to Redemption
Being based in the Rockies I run across a fair number of books that fall into a category you could call "cowgirl noir". Sure, you have your hard bitten East Coast medical examiners and your hard bitten West Coast P.I.'s, and the occasional tough as nails fallen southern belle, but I'm still partial to the sadder but wiser cowgirl. Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico and Arizona have each given birth to such characters, and here we get one from Wyoming; 23 year old Maurey Pierce Talbot is a welcome addition indeed.
These cowgirl heroines have a lot in common. Usually they are partial to drink and have a few alcohol fueled missteps in their pasts. Some have a busted marriage; most have at least a failed relationship or three. There can be a kid in the mix, but usually not. Lots of times they're between jobs, often because of one too many DUI's. Waitressing and bartending show up a lot on their resumes.
They are marked by a tough exterior, hearts of varying degrees of softness, a wicked sense of humor, a certain rueful pessimism about their immediate prospects, and yet a certain gimlet eyed hope for a happier future. They are in charge of their own sexuality. They don't suffer fools, and pretty much everybody seems to be a fool. There is usually one person they can trust and in whom they can confide. They do not have good relationships with their mothers or their ex mothers-in-law. They are often reckless and almost always armed.
I mention all of this because that describes the narrator of this book pretty well. She's hit the bottom of the bottle since her Daddy died, and it's going to take a cross-country beer-hauling road trip with two colorful ex-drunks to get her on the right path. Maurey is an appealing character; her voice is strong and clear even if her path forward isn't. While there are plenty of catastrophes along the road the author treats his characters with a generous and forgiving spirit that keeps the drama inside the lines and balances sorrow with tenderness. A good find.
Being based in the Rockies I run across a fair number of books that fall into a category you could call "cowgirl noir". Sure, you have your hard bitten East Coast medical examiners and your hard bitten West Coast P.I.'s, and the occasional tough as nails fallen southern belle, but I'm still partial to the sadder but wiser cowgirl. Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico and Arizona have each given birth to such characters, and here we get one from Wyoming; 23 year old Maurey Pierce Talbot is a welcome addition indeed.
These cowgirl heroines have a lot in common. Usually they are partial to drink and have a few alcohol fueled missteps in their pasts. Some have a busted marriage; most have at least a failed relationship or three. There can be a kid in the mix, but usually not. Lots of times they're between jobs, often because of one too many DUI's. Waitressing and bartending show up a lot on their resumes.
They are marked by a tough exterior, hearts of varying degrees of softness, a wicked sense of humor, a certain rueful pessimism about their immediate prospects, and yet a certain gimlet eyed hope for a happier future. They are in charge of their own sexuality. They don't suffer fools, and pretty much everybody seems to be a fool. There is usually one person they can trust and in whom they can confide. They do not have good relationships with their mothers or their ex mothers-in-law. They are often reckless and almost always armed.
I mention all of this because that describes the narrator of this book pretty well. She's hit the bottom of the bottle since her Daddy died, and it's going to take a cross-country beer-hauling road trip with two colorful ex-drunks to get her on the right path. Maurey is an appealing character; her voice is strong and clear even if her path forward isn't. While there are plenty of catastrophes along the road the author treats his characters with a generous and forgiving spirit that keeps the drama inside the lines and balances sorrow with tenderness. A good find.
April 20, 2016
Tim Sandlin sure knows how to write an alcoholic. He also knows how to write a pervert, a hick, and a hippie. His generally one-dimensional characters are the driving force behind the compelling series opener, "Skipped Parts" and continue their stolid march through "Sorrow Floats."
Maurey Talbot (nee Pierce) is now a 22-year-old wash-up soon-to-be-divorcee. After high school, best friend and father of her child Sam Callahan left for South Carolina with their daughter, Shannon; Maurey went to college, came back to marry the stereotypical small-town misogynist she dated in high school, had a son, lost her father, and then slipped steadily into the waiting arms of depression and alcoholism.
The story follows Maurey's banishment from seeing her son for 90 days due to an egregious error in drunken judgment, and her slow but steady trek across the country to visit Sam and their daughter in order to find perspective and peace. Along the way (accompanied by an olio of miscellaneous misfits) Maurey is confronted by her life and the person she's become; slowly coming to terms with where her choices have led her, and the multitudinous ways she has used alcohol as an excuse to ignore her crumbling world.
This book expands on the story begun in "Skipped Parts" and begins to round out the characters and world created by Sandlin. A fantastic satiric continuation of the tale of GroVont and the echoing effects of location, history, and choice on our lives.
Maurey Talbot (nee Pierce) is now a 22-year-old wash-up soon-to-be-divorcee. After high school, best friend and father of her child Sam Callahan left for South Carolina with their daughter, Shannon; Maurey went to college, came back to marry the stereotypical small-town misogynist she dated in high school, had a son, lost her father, and then slipped steadily into the waiting arms of depression and alcoholism.
The story follows Maurey's banishment from seeing her son for 90 days due to an egregious error in drunken judgment, and her slow but steady trek across the country to visit Sam and their daughter in order to find perspective and peace. Along the way (accompanied by an olio of miscellaneous misfits) Maurey is confronted by her life and the person she's become; slowly coming to terms with where her choices have led her, and the multitudinous ways she has used alcohol as an excuse to ignore her crumbling world.
This book expands on the story begun in "Skipped Parts" and begins to round out the characters and world created by Sandlin. A fantastic satiric continuation of the tale of GroVont and the echoing effects of location, history, and choice on our lives.
June 1, 2011
Sigh. I'm a bit disappointed that I found this book to be such a let down after blowing through Skipped Parts in just 2 days. This book took me weeks to push through.
While I absolutely loved childhood Maurey in Skipped Parts, I found myself wanting to smack her adult character. And I suppose that's part of the problem right there. Skipped Parts was narrated by Sam. Sorrow Floats was narrated by Maury nearly a decade later. I wasn't expecting that. And it annoyed me from the get go.
Long story short, this book is about a hopeless woman who has lost everything important to her and during a truly ridiculous road trip with a baker's dozen of misfits she finds a way to rescue herself. To me, the book didn't pick up momentum until the catalyst for Maurey's turnaround is introduced. And that was close to 85% of the way through. Maybe I just enjoy violence like that? I don't know.
Sandlin's Vonnegut-style that I really admired in book 1 isn't as prevalent here. Though I did appreciate the brash situations and filter-less dialog with the characters.
While I am intrigued as to what lies ahead for the GroVont gang, the jury is out on whether or not I'll pick up book 3 anytime soon. If it's from Sam [or heck, even Lydia or Shannon's] POV, I'll likely give it a go after some time away from the series.
While I absolutely loved childhood Maurey in Skipped Parts, I found myself wanting to smack her adult character. And I suppose that's part of the problem right there. Skipped Parts was narrated by Sam. Sorrow Floats was narrated by Maury nearly a decade later. I wasn't expecting that. And it annoyed me from the get go.
Long story short, this book is about a hopeless woman who has lost everything important to her and during a truly ridiculous road trip with a baker's dozen of misfits she finds a way to rescue herself. To me, the book didn't pick up momentum until the catalyst for Maurey's turnaround is introduced. And that was close to 85% of the way through. Maybe I just enjoy violence like that? I don't know.
Sandlin's Vonnegut-style that I really admired in book 1 isn't as prevalent here. Though I did appreciate the brash situations and filter-less dialog with the characters.
While I am intrigued as to what lies ahead for the GroVont gang, the jury is out on whether or not I'll pick up book 3 anytime soon. If it's from Sam [or heck, even Lydia or Shannon's] POV, I'll likely give it a go after some time away from the series.
April 11, 2021
Maurey Pierce is a flawed, broken, beautiful character. I loved her the first time I read this book, and I only grew to love her more. Tim Sandlin is a fantastic author who creates characters that are unforgettable. Maurey has a million problems and the rag tag group that ends up in a way saving her all come with their own share of issues but its not really a novel about people with issues; nor is it a novel about alcoholism - though that is Maurey's biggest issue - its a novel about being alive. Being a human fucking being. Maurey isn't a perfect one, not by a very long shot, but I sure as hell grew to love her.
January 15, 2016
Takes a bizarre 13 year old girl who has a baby (from the first book) and turns her into a man-hating, alcoholic, slutty, mentally ill mess at 23. As much as the author tries to make her cheating husband into the bad guy, I was on his side. Our "heroine" shouldn't be allowed near children. I finally gave up about one-third of the way in when we get to her opinions on penises. This author must be one weird guy. One of the few books in my life I just couldn't bear to finish. Anyone who compares these books to Vonnegut or John Irving should be prevented from reading books in the future. At least it killed any desire to read the next two books in the series.
July 22, 2009
I was disappointed by this follow up to Skipped Parts. It took me a really long time to read because I could never delve into the piece deeply enough. I liked Maurey Pierce (the main character), who is a 22- year-old alcoholic mother of two, but the storyline just wasn't good enough for me. Perhaps it was the other characters she was riding around the country with in an ambulance dragging a trailer full of illegal Coors beer. It sounds interesting, and hilarious, but the whole thing just never came together enough for me.
January 23, 2008
I hated this book only because I hated the character in Skipped Parts. She just simply pissed me off throughout the entire story. This one is focused on her so it was very difficult for me to stomach.
January 19, 2012
Missing Parts started funny and ended more sadly. Sorrow Floats seems to continue the mood of sadness. Funny in a sad way. Maury even mentions that is how cowboys work through their fears by making jokes.
July 20, 2007
i got on a kick where i was reading really depressing stories.
this is one of them.
i'm not sure i recommend it.
this is one of them.
i'm not sure i recommend it.
November 26, 2010
I wanted to like this lively book, I really did. But hard as I tried I could not get past page 60. Not sure why - it simply didn't grab me.
January 20, 2023
A strange funny crazy yet oddly poignant story
I read this for the first time maybe 20 years ago.
I loaned it to someone, and never got it back (bastards).
But I decided to buy it again, and have slowly been chipping away at it since.
It's not PC, or even remotely written for anyone born after the 80's, but it is a hilarious coming of age story (if one can do such a thing in their 20s after having 2 kids). The setting is in the 70's, and the female lead is an alcoholic that has an assortment of quirks and issues- but the road trip you go on with all the characters is more than worth the journey.
There are moments you'll read with your mouth open, laugh out loud, frown, and even cry. If you have a sense of humor, and enjoy well-written adventures, you'll love this book for the plethora of one-liners alone.
I read this for the first time maybe 20 years ago.
I loaned it to someone, and never got it back (bastards).
But I decided to buy it again, and have slowly been chipping away at it since.
It's not PC, or even remotely written for anyone born after the 80's, but it is a hilarious coming of age story (if one can do such a thing in their 20s after having 2 kids). The setting is in the 70's, and the female lead is an alcoholic that has an assortment of quirks and issues- but the road trip you go on with all the characters is more than worth the journey.
There are moments you'll read with your mouth open, laugh out loud, frown, and even cry. If you have a sense of humor, and enjoy well-written adventures, you'll love this book for the plethora of one-liners alone.
June 8, 2018
.......and sobriety can happen! 5 stars
Enjoyable story about how a group of misfits help a young woman not only find herself but find out how to put the bottle down and give sobriety and a new way of life a chance. Interesting character development and how this group of different people can learn to come to care for one another. 5 stars
Enjoyable story about how a group of misfits help a young woman not only find herself but find out how to put the bottle down and give sobriety and a new way of life a chance. Interesting character development and how this group of different people can learn to come to care for one another. 5 stars
February 21, 2024
So good I loved it, the best on in the series
January 2, 2026
This was a pretty wild ride, and I can understand why some readers would be uncomfortable with it, but I enjoyed it a lot and I'm looking forward to Social Blunders.
January 23, 2016
The second novel in this trilogy about the people of GroVont WY is stronger than the first (highly praised) book, "Skipped Parts". Don't get me wrong, "Skipped Parts" was very good, but I think "Sorrow Floats" is a stronger text on many levels.
Like many readers I was at first disappointed that the narrator for "Sorrow Floats" was not Sam Callahan, as I was expecting, but rather one of my least favorite characters from "Skipped Parts", Maurey Pierce. However, I should not have doubted Tim Sandlin's amazing ability to create a convincing and winning narrative voice. Having read four of his novels now I should know this, but each time it impresses me more and more. How a middle aged man gets in the mind and heart of a 23 year old female alcoholic is beyond me, but I feel strongly that Mr. Sandlin achieves the task. Maurey's winsome observations of those around her, and her wry observations (sometimes brutal) about herself ring with truth. Like all of his texts, a major strength of this novel is the persona and narrative voice Sandlin creates. It should be expected of him by now.
This novel also boasts an interesting supporting cast of characters, but I actually found the misfits in this novel likable, and I did not care for them (as personalities) in "Skipped Parts". Sandlin seems to endow all of them with tenderness, some more rough edged than others, which made them members of humanity that you rooted for.
The novel is sentimental, and there is a death scene in it straight out of everyone's fantasy of what a death of a loved one should be like. It rarely goes that way in reality, but during this saccharine scene I found myself teary eyed at the beauty of the possibility of this scene from a novel being a reality for people. The tenderness of the novel's final chapters, along with the reader's innate desire for the real world to be just like that did not make them seem trite to me, as others have suggested. Rather, it made them hopeful. I like hope. I need hope. And I think the world does too.
Enjoy, and recommend Mr. Sandlin to every reader you know. He deserves a wider audience.
Like many readers I was at first disappointed that the narrator for "Sorrow Floats" was not Sam Callahan, as I was expecting, but rather one of my least favorite characters from "Skipped Parts", Maurey Pierce. However, I should not have doubted Tim Sandlin's amazing ability to create a convincing and winning narrative voice. Having read four of his novels now I should know this, but each time it impresses me more and more. How a middle aged man gets in the mind and heart of a 23 year old female alcoholic is beyond me, but I feel strongly that Mr. Sandlin achieves the task. Maurey's winsome observations of those around her, and her wry observations (sometimes brutal) about herself ring with truth. Like all of his texts, a major strength of this novel is the persona and narrative voice Sandlin creates. It should be expected of him by now.
This novel also boasts an interesting supporting cast of characters, but I actually found the misfits in this novel likable, and I did not care for them (as personalities) in "Skipped Parts". Sandlin seems to endow all of them with tenderness, some more rough edged than others, which made them members of humanity that you rooted for.
The novel is sentimental, and there is a death scene in it straight out of everyone's fantasy of what a death of a loved one should be like. It rarely goes that way in reality, but during this saccharine scene I found myself teary eyed at the beauty of the possibility of this scene from a novel being a reality for people. The tenderness of the novel's final chapters, along with the reader's innate desire for the real world to be just like that did not make them seem trite to me, as others have suggested. Rather, it made them hopeful. I like hope. I need hope. And I think the world does too.
Enjoy, and recommend Mr. Sandlin to every reader you know. He deserves a wider audience.
June 25, 2010
Sourcebooks reissue of Sorrow Floats will be out in September, but going through my stacks of books I discovered I had a first edition way back from when it was first published by Holt. Not sure why I never read it in the past, but I really enjoyed Tim Sandlin's portrayal of a group of misfits on a road trip from Wyoming to North Carolina in an ambulance hauling a horse trailer full of Coors. That in itself dates the book but then I remember doing that very thing while attending college in Missouri. Anyone that went over to Kansas where Coors was available was always responsible for bringing back a case. Once it became widely available, it lost its lustre pretty quickly. Sandlin picks up with his GroVentre characters again, this time focused on Maury Pierce who is now 22 (but sounding much older), an alcoholic on a downward spiril but perhaps destined for redemption. Funny, kind of wise and sentimental at the end. thumbs up. The only thing I found myself wondering was how in touch can a guy writing from inside a woman's head really be. Didn't matter, maybe that's what made Maurey so appealing a character.
February 4, 2017
Sorrow Floats is the 2nd book in the GroVont trilogy, but the character of Maurey Pierce has aged 10 years. She now has a 2nd child with her husband Dothan, and after her father dies she seeks solace in the arms of Yukon Jack. The problem being that Yukon Jack is a brand of Whisky, and Maurey has become an alcoholic. After driving with her son on the roof of her car Maurey's world seems to implode. A chance of redemption comes along with the offer of a roadtrip, to deliver some illegal booze, with a bizarre cast of characters.
Maurey is the only really featured character from the original book in the series, 'Skipped Parts'. Even though there is humour in this book, it has a darker feel to it. So not such a light-hearted read.
Maurey is the only really featured character from the original book in the series, 'Skipped Parts'. Even though there is humour in this book, it has a darker feel to it. So not such a light-hearted read.
December 29, 2012
I found this book on my friend Gordon's list, shortly after Gordon died. I'm trying to read through the books he read.
This is the second in this trilogy, but it's where I started. The main character is a suicidal alcoholic (who isn't admitting to being an alcoholic). She ends up in a mess, and leaves town with two people that she'd never, in a normal situation, be involved with. That unlikely trio picks up more characters along the way. It's an odd road trip, tinged with regret and humor, tragedy and small triumphs.
It's a very subtle book. Though the characters themselves are not subtle, the way the story is put together is very balanced, and a thread develops after a traumatic event that ties everything together. Bittersweet in many ways, the ending is a damn fine tribute to some very well fleshed out characters and their various paths.
All told, I'd recommend it. Not your usual road trip.
This is the second in this trilogy, but it's where I started. The main character is a suicidal alcoholic (who isn't admitting to being an alcoholic). She ends up in a mess, and leaves town with two people that she'd never, in a normal situation, be involved with. That unlikely trio picks up more characters along the way. It's an odd road trip, tinged with regret and humor, tragedy and small triumphs.
It's a very subtle book. Though the characters themselves are not subtle, the way the story is put together is very balanced, and a thread develops after a traumatic event that ties everything together. Bittersweet in many ways, the ending is a damn fine tribute to some very well fleshed out characters and their various paths.
All told, I'd recommend it. Not your usual road trip.
June 1, 2011
2nd in the GroVont trilogy, set in the early 1970s. At 23, Maurey Pearce is an alcoholic. When she is pulled over for driving drunk through town with her baby on top of the car, her adulterous husband ensures she can't see her child, she can't live in her house, and she can't buy bullets or sharp items in town. Desperate and living in a tent, she teams up with some Alcoholics Anonymous members--a wheelchair-bound teller of tall tales and a lonely man in a quest for the wife who left him--in a harebrained scheme to smuggle a trailer full of Coors beer back east where it's illegal (and where Maurey's 8-yo daughter is now living with her father, Sam Callahan) for as wild a road trip as you can imagine. Alternately funny (with Sandlin's trademark black humor), touching, and weird.
April 11, 2007
Yeah, I know everyone says this, but this book is one of those that literally helped to shape the person I am. It inspired me to make some pretty big changes in my life, and sent me off on a crazy road trip to meet the writer, Tim Sandlin, in Jackson Hole, WY - a story that's probably worth a book of its own someday.
It's required reading for women, alcoholics, tortured writers ... the main character is so relateable, so smart, so hilarious ... and I think Sandlin does an awesome job of writing from a female perspective.
Mash Maurey in with Lucy Van Pelt, and you've got my dream best girlfriend. Or wait ... maybe you've got me.
It's required reading for women, alcoholics, tortured writers ... the main character is so relateable, so smart, so hilarious ... and I think Sandlin does an awesome job of writing from a female perspective.
Mash Maurey in with Lucy Van Pelt, and you've got my dream best girlfriend. Or wait ... maybe you've got me.
August 30, 2011
I really just like this book because of Sandlin's unique writing style. The plot wasn't super exciting. Basically he just wrote about a bunch of strange people living their lives together on a road trip. Sandlin looks at life in a way that most people normally don't, and I learn new things about people with each book. Unfortunately I'm tired of the filthy language now. At first his lewd writing style added some intrigue and comedy, but now it just feels like old news. On top of that this story was flat out depressing. I felt angry and abused the whole time I was reading it. I definitely preferred the first book of this trilogy "Skipped Parts."
June 21, 2012
Spectacular! I liked the first Gro Vont book, Skipped Parts, a lot, but it was more of a coming of age story with really strange twists. This one was cathartic and deep. Maury seemed somewhat unlikable after the first book, but this one delves deep into her complexities and challenges. I really liked Sam Callahan after Skipped Parts, and although he's not directly in this book, he's been made into a godlike figure. I almost don't want to read the next one because I don't want to ruin my image of Sam.
May 30, 2020
I REALLY enjoyed this book! Even though there was nothing in it I hadn't read before, it still felt fresh (as in new/original AND smartass/cheeky) It was so unoriginal, it was inspired. The characters and wordplay were great and while the 70's setting wasn't front and center in the story, it added a nice backdrop. I was not aware that this was the middle book in a trilogy when I first started reading it, but I'm def going to check out the other two.
January 8, 2012
This was a perfect example of why I don't like to stop reading a book once I start even if I'm not feeling it at first. I didn't really care for Maurey in the first book of the series but I loved the writing style of the author. By the end of the book I finally warmed up to Maurey. The characters that this author writes are just beyond imagination and they make me laugh out loud often.
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