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A Confluence of Rivers
A CONFLUENCE OF RIVERS
in the tradition of Willie Morris or Howard Bahr
On an early July morning, 1931, seventeen year old Wiley Jennings catches the milk truck into town, walks into the Ashe County, Mississippi sheriff's office. "I just killed Mr. Marcus Junior," he announces.
Torie Jennings, Wiley's mother, through a set of circumstances, becomes the matriarch of a rural deep south family and community rather than become a sharecropper's wife. Her infant son Wiley is permanently altered by an encounter with yellow jackets. Son Warren discovers the guitar via a black farm hand, blues player. Torie's husband dies and she subsequently develops a relationship with a New Orleans businessman, Maurice Cartot. The two of them have a 'perfect year.'
Torie realizes that she can no longer do justice to both Maurice and to family and community. She terminates the relationship. Warren leaves home with a Texas String Band, seems destined to become the 'Elvis' of Western Swing. Mr. Marcus Kyle, Jr. forces the bank to fore-close on a significant portion of the Jennings property. "Somebody ought 'a kill the SOB," is voiced in a family meeting. Nobody steps up. The literal thinking Wiley determines to, and does, do the killing.
Nobody, including the prosecution, wants to send Wiley to Parchman Prison, or worse. Torie will not allow a plea of insanity. She contacts Maurice for moral support. Maurice sends his main man to Texas to find Warren. Warren shows up in the middle of the trial, implies that, "Anybody might have shot the bastard; I might 'a done it myself." Having created doubt in the jury's mind, Warren disappears. He knows that, being a person of interest in a case of capital murder, he can never again play in a big time Texas music be on the radio, make records. Torie loses a son, gets one back.
in the tradition of Willie Morris or Howard Bahr
On an early July morning, 1931, seventeen year old Wiley Jennings catches the milk truck into town, walks into the Ashe County, Mississippi sheriff's office. "I just killed Mr. Marcus Junior," he announces.
Torie Jennings, Wiley's mother, through a set of circumstances, becomes the matriarch of a rural deep south family and community rather than become a sharecropper's wife. Her infant son Wiley is permanently altered by an encounter with yellow jackets. Son Warren discovers the guitar via a black farm hand, blues player. Torie's husband dies and she subsequently develops a relationship with a New Orleans businessman, Maurice Cartot. The two of them have a 'perfect year.'
Torie realizes that she can no longer do justice to both Maurice and to family and community. She terminates the relationship. Warren leaves home with a Texas String Band, seems destined to become the 'Elvis' of Western Swing. Mr. Marcus Kyle, Jr. forces the bank to fore-close on a significant portion of the Jennings property. "Somebody ought 'a kill the SOB," is voiced in a family meeting. Nobody steps up. The literal thinking Wiley determines to, and does, do the killing.
Nobody, including the prosecution, wants to send Wiley to Parchman Prison, or worse. Torie will not allow a plea of insanity. She contacts Maurice for moral support. Maurice sends his main man to Texas to find Warren. Warren shows up in the middle of the trial, implies that, "Anybody might have shot the bastard; I might 'a done it myself." Having created doubt in the jury's mind, Warren disappears. He knows that, being a person of interest in a case of capital murder, he can never again play in a big time Texas music be on the radio, make records. Torie loses a son, gets one back.
585 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 4, 2012
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
November 28, 2022
Wonderful story about a fictional place that is geographically set where I grew up. Great storytelling. Compelling read. Incredible vocabulary from a long-ago place and time. Amazing characters. Wiley reminds me of Faulkner’s Benjy Compson in THE SOUND AND THE FURY, my favorite book by my favorite writer. Torie is a strong female lead. And if I could only find a man like Maurice! I loved Warren, but really don’t feel I know Mavis.And I don’t understand her purpose in the story. Authentic dialogue. The book really could benefit so much from a professional editor and proofreader. The gaffes made it unnecessarily tedious.
#836
#836
Displaying 1 of 1 review