The Last Great Snake Show

by Tim McLaurin

In his fourth novel, Tim McLaurin plows the fertile ground of the poor, rural South. On their way to Canterbury, a group of errant pilgrims are actually an unlikely troupe: snake handler Jubal Lee, exotic dancer Gloria Peacock, and Cappy, a testy, old Vietnam war veteran. They're employed by Miss Darlene, owner of the House of Joy, a bar on the coast of North Carolina that serves up moonshine, catfish, and baked raccoon--plus Gloria Peacock's proud gyrations. But whatever union they've found is momentarily torn asunder by a tornado, leveling the House of Joy and leaving Miss Darlene fatally wounded.

As the troupe heads toward Oregon, where Miss Darlene bought property sight unseen, they have to muster all of their resources and wit to battle prejudices and perversions they never encountered at home. With each new confrontation, past demons rise up, forcing our heroes to realize they can't run from the past forever. They must decide which holds the higher value: striking out for the territory or staying to mine the treasures of home.

Genres: Fiction

Hardcover

First published August 4, 1997

Reviews

[Michele Hayes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jubal, a snake handler, Cappie, a retired veteran of Viet Nam, Glory, a stripper and Darlene, dying from a piece of glass stuck in her forehead, travel from NC to Oregon in an old bus. They are soon joined by Kitty, an heiress-to-be. Each one is lugging around a painful past that they can't seem to let go off. To make traveling money they stop along the way to perform their show and run into all sorts of troubles.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Southern writer writing about Southern characters/caricatures is what makes Southern writers amazing story tellers.
I could not put this book down but I also didn’t want it to end.
I will think about this book for a long time.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall rating: 7.5/10

About: An ensemble of quirky southern entertainers go on a traveling journey, performing for funds, and discovering the meaning of their life and worth.

- Story includes lively characters with distinctive traits that were intriguing in each of their own ways
- Flashbacks were a nice addition to the overall storyline. Understanding of the characters background helped explain the actions of the main narrative
- A bit feel-good regarding the topic of chosen family
- easy to read, easy to follow

[Suzanne Manners · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting book full of colorful characters. I applaud Cappy for his devotion to Miss Darlene and was sad that she didn't live long enough to enjoy her "utopia." I also enjoyed following the developing relationship between Jubal Lee and the runaway bride. Gloria was a complete bawdy joy throughout. Recommended to entertain!

[Cari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome! Just these 5 characters that had tragic backstories walking through life as Saints; So beautifully imagined. They go through every horror on their way across the US but come out positive and better. Really different and uplifting (with a good dose of how perverted life and the people in it can be.)

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, the south is a strange place. By the way, they still have snake shows and moonshiners in these here parts...

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

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