Whistle: A Novel

by Janice Daugharty

Roper is illiterate. He is a poor, hard-working black man in the unforgiving heart of south Georgia, striving each day to put distance between his new life and his probation for a petty crime one year earlier. His routine is his At sunrise he mounts the tractor belonging to Math Taylor, a prominent white landowner, and grooms the vast grounds of the Taylor home -- until one morning, when Roper's routine goes terribly wrong. While mowing the tall grass at the back end of the property, he comes across the body of his boss' wife, dead of a heart attack. In a moment of panic, terrified that he'll be blamed for her death and sent back to jail, Roper hides her body where it will not be found. With the ensuing days and weeks comes a painstaking and fruitless search for the missing woman. The police want to interview Roper, to ask him if he happened to see Lora Taylor before her mysterious disappearance. After all, wasn't he running the tractor around the time she vanished? Now Roper is not sure he did the right thing. He should have called for help. And there is no way he can come forward at this point. As the investigation begins and the tragedy hits the evening news, Roper is nearly crippled with self-induced fear and paranoia. A gritty novel of suspense, Whistle is a powerful departure for acclaimed southern novelist Janice Daugharty. Masterfully weaving the fears of a desperate man with the stark lives of those around him, Daugharty creates a landscape of profound questions and moral quandary. Whistle is Daugharty's most evocative and ambitious novel to date.

Genres: Southern

Hardcover

First published February 17, 1998

About the author

Back on Goodreads and back to writing, and hopefully publishing.
I need my fans, old and new, to boost my confidence, as I start over again.
The reason for my long absence can be chalked up to...well, life!
I have a large family and most live on our property, in South Georgia, Cow Creek Farm. No, we don't farm, and no, we no longer have cows. The name is derived from a creek called "Cow" that flows through our property.
OK, enough about me. I want to hear about you--what you're reading, maybe writing. Or just what you are doing nowadays.
Love, Janice

Reviews

[Paula Hurley Raper · Rating 2 out of 5]

The storyline was good but I didn't care for her writing style.

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

This COULD have been a great book. It was VERY slow starting, going on and on about Roper and what he did. I just about gave it up and moved on to another book when finally, something good. The focus turned to Louise and her secret relationship. Had the book focused on that as the main plot and had Roper as a side story, it might have been a really good book. As it is, though, its only okay.

I think the story about Louise and her lover should have really been more developed. The first half of the book that focused on Roper was repetitive and boring.

I did find the portrayal of the Freedom Riders to be extremely odd, too, by the way. If a reader wasn't familiar with the Freedom Riders, they would have NO IDEA what was going on at that time in history.

This book really needed to be better developed.

[Trish Perry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely little gem of 1960s-set Southern fiction, Whistle is a rather slow read for the first half, while Daugharty focuses on Roper Rackard, a 54-year-old black man just out of jail, who stumbles upon a dead woman and fears he'll be blamed for her death. While experiencing Roper's conflict, we meet his common-sense, hard-working mother, Louise, who will work her way into your heart and not let you go, not even after the novel ends. Louise's story inhabits the books's second half, and this is where Daugharty's storytelling shines.

I hate spoilers, so I'll leave the summary there, but I encourage readers, especially readers who appreciate Southern fiction, to treat themselves to this 1998 novel. I guarantee you'll have a smile of satisfaction as you read the last page.

[Heather Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is well done southern literature. Relying more on character development and vivid descriptions than heavy dialog, this book brought the south (1940's -1990's) to life. While Roper's section did well to start off the book, Louise's section was definitely more colorful. Once I started reading it, i couldn't put it down. The ending was done just right. It wasn't a big 'I can't believe that just happened', but it brought the closure Louise deserved.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up randomly off a used book store shelf. It was entertaining and difficult to put down. Interesting characters. Realistic portrait of poverty. However, the ending was a bit anticlimactic. I personally don't think that ruined the book or causes regret for reading it- but I bet for some people it might. For me the the themes and writing overshadow that and make it a nice short poignant read.

[Kiera · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and breezed through it! Pulled me in from the first few pages and had me biting my nails!! (I haven't bit my nails in more than a decade!!)

Wonderful writing style!! Loved it!

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

sad tale of black man discovering dead wife of white boss/childhood friend, fearing he would be accused he hides the body and the story deals with how this affects the community. Well written.

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty fast read. Depicts a realistic situation for blacks living in the south years ago.