If or When I Call

by Will Johnson

Between interstates and county lines, life in rural Missouri unfolds in a progression of simple moments that carry the weight of every hard thing gone by. Parker and Melinda are searching for themselves in the hollows of their estranged marriage. Parker, haunted by the demons of addiction, lives every moment at the edge of an undiagnosed disorder - a darkness that steals his awareness and throws him into convulsions. Melinda, on an odyssey of her own, knows Parker's struggles all too well, and as they try to help their teenage son come to terms with their lives apart, they have only their memories of a brighter life to get by.
Haunting and lyrical, Johnson's powerful debut is a hymn to the lives we overlook in the quiet places around us. And how close we are to living them ourselves.
Will Johnson is a musician and songwriter who has played in the bands Centro-matic, South San Gabriel, Marie/Lepanto, Overseas, New Multitudes, and Monsters of Folk. He also releases records under his own name, and makes paintings centering on the subject of baseball and its history. His work has appeared in American Short Fiction. He was born in Kennett, Missouri, and currently lives in Austin, Texas. If or When I Call is his first novel.

Genres: Fiction

266 pages, Paperback

Published March 15, 2021

Reviews

[Jenny (Reading Envy) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have long been a fan of novels set in rural places when they capture the people and places very well - think John Irving, Richard Russo, David Joy, Kent Haruf - and I think Will Johnson is an author who should join those ranks. Many will know him as a musician from Monsters of Folk to Centro-matic. I had some familiarity with groups adjacent to these two (Bright Eyes, She & Him) so I slid into the playlists of his bands while reading this book, a natural fit.

Knowing Will Johnson is a musician will not be a surprise for anyone reading this book - the rotating points of view of a handful of characters sometimes drifts into an inner narrative that feels more like verse. This is used judiciously and adds texture to the story. Some of the characters also stop and notice a song on the radio in the car or other places, and so I felt compelled to stop and also listen to the song as the reader. (Experience recommended.)

At times in the beginning, I felt there was too much detail about what is on the shelves at the gas station, what the characters are wearing, etc. I felt a bit bogged down. But I think the author wants you to slow down, to understand the pace of a town that might have had some industry at one point, but no longer has much to offer. And then to ask the question of what do people do all day when this is their reality? There are characters linked together by a child and nothing else, but since the town is small, still end up in the same circles. The people they used to drink or do drugs with are still there as well, which isn't always helpful.

And then suddenly, I was in this place where I knew the characters, I understood their emotions, and I was crying while Melinda eats chicken in a gas station. I felt the panic of a teenager left alone to deal with his father's illness which shows up without warning. There are family members who do the wrong thing and strangers who do the right thing, and a very satisfying ending.

I received a copy of this book in advance from the publicist, and actually am acquainted with the editor, and this is my honest review. The book came out March 15, 2021.

[Lori]

This is the debut novel from singer songwriter Will Johnson (of Centro-matic and Monsters of Folk) and I am ridiculously excited to help Goliad Media promote this one!

It's both familiar and harrowing and deals with a dissolving marriage, an addiction, and the ripple effect the darkness it brings with it has on those who are closest.

Seeking reviews, interviews, and all other kinds of hype!!! Hit me up if you're interested!

[Sean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lives in small towns are not small. I've long been a fan of Will Johnson's music and his paintings, so I was pretty excited to know that he was soon-to-be a published author, and pre-ordered his debut novel, knowing nothing about it...but knowing him. I was not disappointed. At all. I had unfairly high expectations. I also knew that there was a real possibility that I was going to like the book more than I should, given my appreciation of his other art, and our friendship. Expectations were met and exceeded, and any worry about comfort-bias was unnecessary. He wrote a beautiful book. He wrote a book about small towns and big rivers and bad fortune and open roads and struggle and hope and hopelessness and all the things that I love to read about....and he write about these things with respect and care. Do yourself a favor and pick this one up.

[Beth Mowbray · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

IF OR WHEN I CALL is a debut novel by musician/songwriter Will Johnson and his lyrical way with words carries over from his music onto the page.

The quote from Wiley Cash (a NC author!) on the cover sums it up pretty well: “Lives in small towns are not small.” Alternating perspectives with each chapter, Johnson paints the picture of daily life for a family in small-town Missouri.

Parker and Melinda have separated after many years together, each trying to find a way to move on and create a new life. Parker stays in their old home and his teenage son, Ben, visits every other weekend. He also deals with an unknown medical condition which causes him to behave bizarrely and black out. At first he self-medicated with alcohol, but now he’s attending meetings and trying to stay on the straight and narrow. Melinda has moved to a neighboring town to live with her sister. She’s found a new man who sounds good at first, but leaves her unfulfilled. Even Ben can see how unhappy his mother seems.

Johnson’s writing is a thoughtful character study, a quiet examination of how even “simple” lives are not so simple. My only concerns: The pacing was slow at times for me and some of the characterization verges on stereotypical. IF OR WHEN I CALL is, however, a solid debut from a skilled writer with insight into the human condition who makes note of the small joys in life alongside the complex pain.

Many thanks to publicist Lori Hettler for gifting me an advance copy of this book! IF OR WHEN I CALL is out on March 15th from Goliad Media Group.

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having grown up in rural Missouri myself, Will's characters are immediately familiar to the extent that I almost would have sworn I knew them. They speak the way people I grew up around spoke. By the end, I found myself invested in all of them, hoping they find their way to wherever it is they're going. As if any of us ever does.

I enjoyed how the point of view changed to allow each person to have their say in their own way. Naming the chapters by the voice speaking and not numbering them.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Haunting and lyrical. Those two words sum this one up perfectly. This story of a family struggling with addiction and an estranged marriage is told in such a simple way but each word and phrase is carefully crafted, powerful. This is the kind of novel that seems like it’s about nothing but is really about everything. It’s a great debut.

[Tom Mooney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very much in the style of Willy Vlautin and Kent Haruf, Will Johnson gives us a portrait of several small towners and their quiet lives.

Johnson can write, no doubt about it. His characters feel pretty real from the first page. But this story lacked a bit of oomph. It never really went anywhere. There were also a couple of stylistic tics that began to irritate me.

But he has potential, for sure.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story told in snapshots moving through small towns along the Mississippi. Some of the characters’ voices were more compellingly written than others and some of the writing seemed a bit intentionally heavy. That said, it also had many tender and a few surprisingly side-splitting moments. It is ultimately a good read (h/t goodreads) because it’s a well-told story with convincing tension, characters with moving vulnerabilities, and plainspoke dialog that conveys a lot in a little space.

[Ian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Will Johnson is a musician and songwriter. This is his first novel, but it is clear that the songwriters art of concise storytelling, using language to paint moods, and using the particular to paint universal truths is fully at play here. This is a tale of ordinary people, of all-too-common circumstances, short on big dramatic events but rich in its observations of the flawed people we all are, and the lives we live. Set in contemporary small-town America, each of the characters in this novel are drawn in rich and empathetic strokes. The book follows the lives of a small cast of individuals, bound in one way or another by family, over a short period of time, reflecting how their past influences their present, and their struggles and desires to make a future from a haunted past and tangle of relationships.

This is a book about the small stuff. But in the small stuff is the big stuff. And most of all it is a book that is full of compassion, of empathy, and ultimately of hope. Yes, sometimes it feels bleak. And sometimes it feels like you know where this is heading, and it doesn’t feel like a good place. But whilst not exactly a happy-ever-after story, it’s resolution was a satisfying and ultimately hopeful one.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

what a book!
this book follows a small family from a small town. showing small town problems. two sisters, a husband and their child.
melinda and parker are still married but aren’t together anymore because of his issues with alcohol, so she’s currently living with maureen, her sister.
melinda decides to leave town for a while, leaving ben (her son) with his dad, parker and her sister. we follow her journey and how she meets new people and sees new places.
maureen is left to deal with the small town life and ben. ben sees his dad on a regular basis and we see how ben deals with his dad not only struggling with life without his wife but also with having fits.
a gripping story that has me craving more lit fics!
also, why isn’t anyone reading this book?!

[Nicholas Mendola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Warm. Reflects back onto the reader and back again. So many layers. I was probably predisposed to liking the book because of my admiration for the author but I’m still left stunned by the idea that this is his first novel. He gets to the getting place.

[Lone Star Literary Life]

Reviewed by Ruthie Jones for Lone Star Literary Life.

[Ardyth Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully written! Characters so raw and so beautiful. Will keep writing, looking forward to you next book.

[Clifford · Rating 4 out of 5]

review forthcoming

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Came to Will Johnson via his music, but it turns out he writes a good Southern noir as well. Format took some getting used to, but flowed once I did.

[Lyle Boylen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty great first novel here. The style is a lot like Willy Vlautin, who I consider a terrific writer. I will be looking forward to any future releases by Johnson. This is a fantastic story.

[Btwitte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Will Johnson is a brilliant musician and song writer. Just found out that he sure can write too!

[Ryan Huff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book so much. So gritty and slice of life showing a population not often represented as main characters.

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

I really enjoyed the author's writing, but as other reviews mention, there is not much of a plot.

[Andrea Janov · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found myself very easily caring and rooting for these characters.

[Knut André Dale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Will Johnson's debut is a heartfelt and plaintive novel about a family coming apart at the seams in rural Missouri. "If Or When I Call" is brimming with life and a genuine sense of hope.

[Ruthie Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read my review at Lone Star Literary Life.

[Scott Midler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is textures, shading, nuance. Like a painting. Like real lives. Small town America. The more you look, the more there is to see. Then again, sometimes everything is right there on the surface. It’s hard to know.

Will Johnson has created a beautiful painting of small town America. Of family and relationships. Some are messy—people are messy. It’s lyrical and vibrant and lovely and detailed. And when you move on to the next painting, this painting still exists. And although you are not looking at it anymore, you remember it.

[10thumbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quiet, beautifully written book about a family in Missouri. Reads like Will Johnson’s music sounds. Like a less depressing Willy Vlautin novel — but just as satisfying, warm and bitter tasting.