Tupelo Nights

by John Ed Bradley

A novel of the sour end of an American dream in the Deep South tradition. Things were destined to career out of hand once John Girlie let the mysterious woman, kneeling by a graveside, become his obsession. There would be obvious pressures on any man called Girlie and Louisiana football hero John Girle had his share of them. Although John quit football and eschewed fame for home-town obscurity after university, he did not abandon his already once-abandoned mother. But this act of loyalty was no simple matter - especially after he had seen the melancholy figure of Emma Groves amidst tupelo trees in the graveyard where his friend Charley sniffed cocaine and dug artistic graves. The chances of "that spooky woman" Emma being welcomed into John's household were slim now that his mother had only one last Girlie to hang on to. This story of love and death is John Ed Bradley's first novel.

Genres: Fiction

248 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 1988

Reviews

[Chiefdonkey Bradey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A song for all lost boys - filled with sadness and wonder

[Ronald Wilcox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Debut novel by this writer. Johnny Girlie is a small town Louisiana high school football hero. His girlfriend is a woman who mourns a lost child and is 10 years older than him. His best friend is a drunk and cocaine abuser who is the town gravedigger. And his family .... Whew. His life makes mine seem so much better! I enjoyed the story and the writing. The protagonist is sympathetic but not especially likable. I will be checking into others by this author.

[Brian Tucker · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll never think of Van Gogh the same ever again.

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Steamy, somewhat interesting characters, but in the end a disappointment.