Delphic Oracle U.S.A.

by Steven Mayfield

It is 1925 when a love affair between enchantress Maggie Westinghouse and con man July Pennybaker upends the small town of Miagrammesto Station, tumbles it about, and sets it back down as Delphic Oracle, Nebraska. Will their love fulfill its destiny? The narrator of this wry, entertaining novel, Father Peter Goodfellow, weaves back and forth in time to answer that question. Along the way, he introduces the Goodfellows, the Penrods, and the Thorntons—families whose members include a perpetual runaway, a man with religion but no faith, a man with faith but no religion, a boy known as Samson the Methodist, a know-it-all librarian who seems to actually know everything, a quartet of confused midsummer lovers, and a skeleton unearthed in a vacant lot. Funny, poignant, and occasionally tragic, their histories are part of how a place at the confluence of the Platte, Loup, and Missouri River Valleys became home to the long-lost Oracle of Delphi.

298 pages, Paperback

Published October 11, 2022

Reviews

[Sandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Humbly I admit I struggled through the first three chapters of this amazing book. I just couldn’t seem to settle in and grasp the wide canvas of characters and range of experiences.

Then a true miracle happened, I kept reading because the prose was so captivating and gorgeous. The unique people of Delphic Oracle USA began connecting into a well woven tapestry.

I thank the author’s excellent writing for keeping me on board. I finished this book falling fallen deeply in love with the characters and style.

Having read the note at the end of the book on Plutarch, the bright bulb of comprehension glowed over my befuddled head, and I got it!! Now I will definitely have a date with Steven Mayfield’s book for a re-read. It is a delightful and quirky masterpiece!!!

Any of my original confusion lies fully on me.

[BookTrib.com]

DELPHIC ORACLE, USA by Steven Mayfield is both a snapshot of American life and a literary triumph of imaginative force. Perfect for readers who love marvellous books!

Read the full review on Booktrib.com

[Morgan Howell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was delighted by Steven Mayfield’s wit, humor, and style in “Treasure of the Blue Whale,” a wonderful tale of greed and small-town intrigue that left me anticipating his next effort. “Delphic Oracle, U.S.A.” did not disappoint. The book is filled with colorful characters, each with a tale to tell in a town where drama unfolds everywhere—from the little league baseball diamond to the prison warden’s next-door neighbor’s dining room, all connected by a priest with an itchy trigger finger, who does his best to look after his wayward flock. Al Capone is interested in Delphic Oracle, but for all the wrong reasons. Ghosts of past indiscretions, buried secrets, and con games come to haunt, as true love, responsibility, and the tedium of life in a small town do battle with wanderlust. I enjoyed every minute of laughter, sorrow, tears, and danger.