The Road to LaReta: A Novel

by Bonnie King

For fans of Orphan Train, Water for Elephants, and The Boys in the Boat comes a novel about the redemptive power of a second chance. Set in the hardscrabble Dakotas during the depths of the Depression, one man’s life is changed forever because of a three-year-old girl.In 1939, a Cat Skinner drives an old beat up Chevy from Nebraska to North Dakota. The trip takes three days and covers 900 miles. Webb Bateman is the Cat Skinner, a heavy equipment operator, whose story is not about the earth he moves, but about his journey to attempt redemption. As a young man, in the 1920's and early 30's, Webb is honed behind a pool cue stick, at the end of a fist, behind a plow, in a traveling circus, and in the belly of a coal mine. He marries in 1935 because he believes it's the right thing to do when Dorothy, a rural school teacher who loves to dance and who loves Webb, gets pregnant. A thirst for poker, booze and a nomadic lifestyle keeps Webb on the move and away from his wife and child, LaReta, until the day a telegram arrives in Nebraska. Dorothy is dead and her funeral is in three days. The journey to Dorothy’s funeral gives Webb time to reflect on his 27 years of life. It's too much time and not enough time to grapple with the man he is and the man he wants to be.

347 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 17, 2016

About the author

website/blog:
http://bonniekingauthor.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BonnieKingAu...

Reviews

[Sandra Vea · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully written book that captures the feel of the mid-west in the 1930s. It's filled with the adventures of a man as he crosses several state lines to attend a funeral and prepare for his child that he has only rarely seen. You'll love the ending, as sad as it is, and knowing that it's based on real people makes it all the more poignant.

[Claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great reading. I loved the glimpse at the time period.

[Bonnie King · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since I wrote the book, I am biased. This is the story of a man seeking to redeem himself and it's all because of a three-year old girl. Set in the hardscrabble Dakotas in the 1920's and 30's and based on a true story, Webb thought he knew who he was and how life would be. That all changed when he received "the damned telegram" announcing the death of his young wife. We travel with him to the funeral and revisit his past as memories serve as his travelling companion. I couldn't put it down.