Obsidian: An Epic Tale of Provincetown

by R.D. Skillings

Four washashore drifters fulfil every tourist's fantasy when they luck into an idyllic, book-lined, hideaway off Provincetown's lush Back Street - rent free - as the lost war in Vietnam distantly flickers. Their cosy refuge is ruled by the great black cat, Obsidian, uncanny icon of the strange days and nights ahead.

115 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2001

Reviews

[Trudy]

Picked this up on the bookshelf at the hotel we stayed in last weekend. I loved the title and cover, and it's about Provincetown, so I had to give it a go. It was about a seamy slice of life that I guess exists but you can't prove it by me, because I have zero experience of it. Enjoyed the locales and locals in the book. Parts of it were really trashy, but I got a real sense of what the lives of the drifter types were like. Set in the late 60's it is emblematic of the era. My favorite line was when Barnie, Embert and Milo were talking politics. "At least McGovern's got a chance. Whatever happens Nixon's not going to be re-elected. We may be stupid, but we're not morons." Well, that was prophetic! And a fitting discussion in this presidential election year.