Thank you to Leigh library for the group set of Last Bus To Coffeeville by J. Paul Henderson.
We have an Americana road trip with lots of interesting (and slightly wacky) characters. I could particularly empathise as I had done a road trip in Spring 2024 in this very part of the USA (we visited the statue of Emmett Till in Greenwood for example). Henderson gives us a lesson in American history (especially the civil rights struggle) but it is never boring. On the contrary we have an engaging story which is both heartwarming and funny. A great read!
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I enjoyed the book to a certain extent, but didn't like the diversions and different people coming in at odd times. I gave up as I didn't feel like reading about the inevitable ending.
The book tackled a difficult subject - assisted dying - very well. The book also covered a whole swathe of 20th Century American history with a light touch. My feeling is that the book lost direction by delving too deeply into the history of the band of friends who actually took the last bus to Coffeeville. For me, I found this part rambling and kind of beside the point. The Doc, Nancy - a spoilt and rather capricious individual - Bob, who became irritating in the extreme, Jack - what can I say about Jack except why and Eric, a sad little boy who found his saviour and to whom I wish all the best. There were funny and ironic moments and it was well written and overall I am glad to have read it. The Doc loved Nancy very deeply and there was great affection between the characters in this story and this was done again with a light touch and never became sentimental. There could only be one ending and again handled with sensitivity as befits the Doc. He saw himself as a doctor somehow by default - perhaps the best kind.
Started well, had potential to be a sensitive novel about dementia and the right to end a life. The overlong back stories for Bob, Eric and Jack didn't enhance the narrative. The journey bonded the characters, the care shown to Nancy and Eric was touching. Funny in parts, some classic observations. Wasn't surprised by the ending. Author has either experienced dementia or researched well.
I enjoyed the book and the journey it took me on. I did become confused about the characters at one point but I stuck with it and did eventually remember who was who. Although seemingly far fetched I did enjoy the secret life of Bob and had no trouble keeping up with his different names. In spite of the end of the book involving the deaths, the outcomes were positive. For me it looked at age, friendship, ill health and choosing at what stage the end should come. The deterioration in the house and surroundings matched the characters decline and reflected a world where neither belonged.
Last Bus to Coffeeville by J. Paul Henderson is a wonderful tale of friendship, love, memories, history, beliefs and loss. It’s a romp of a book, with plenty of humour but also the poignancy that come with longstanding friendships as they are ravaged by time. The characters are colourful, quirky and very believable and so it is easy to become invested in their antics and to root for them when they are in a tight spot. Each one is searching for something lost, something that will help them to find themselves. Their adventures do border on the ridiculous but this is the book’s strong point and it’s forgivable as it lifts the tale out of mawkish sentimentality. Growing old doesn’t have to be boring, it can give you a certain freedom. I loved it!
Because of a situation in my own family, this felt bit too close to home at times; themes of increasing helplessness in old age, fear of dying a horrible slow death from dementia, dread of awful care homes, and discussions about assisted dying. I found the first half of the book hard going. Every time a new character was introduced, their life story was told, in such detail that I kept forgetting what connection each person had to Doc. I had to keep checking back to see who was who. When the full cast had been assembled to start the journey in the second half, I thought it really picked up. The characters bounced off each other so well, it was genuinely funny. I did think at times the writer was showing off that he'd done his research (into types of barbed wire, cloud formations, and books of the Bible), but I'll forgive him that. I liked the way he sensitively described Nancy's condition: erratic but gradually deteriorating. Her dementia did produce some funny moments, but I thought it was realistic, not patronising. I did wonder whether the writer was trying too hard to incorporate funny situations, but perhaps that was to balance the serious two main themes of the book. Overall I thought it was a well told story.
Now on to other books we read during June...
Q by Christina Dalcher (Dystopian Fiction)
Dalcher is the Queen of dystopia and Q does not disappoint and doesn’t seem too unlikely and that Is very scary! Elena is a teacher at an elite school, where a place is dependent on fortnightly testing. If a child slips down the ranks, they are moved to a different school or sent to a state ‘school’ for the ‘no hopers’. Life is about perfection, with teachers focusing on the gifted, but when one of her daughters is sent away, Elena acts like a mother, not an educator. She deliberately fails her own assessment so she can be with her youngest daughter. She has to face the harsh reality of a policy she helped to initiate and has to decide whether or not to bring down the whole house of cards,
The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden (Women’s Prize Winner 2025) (Historical Fiction)
Set in The Netherlands in 60s. Isabel a lonely, grumpy, single woman living alone in the family home. Parents are dead and siblings have left for life elsewhere. Her life is disrupted when her brother leaves his girlfriend, Eve, with her whilst he goes abroad to work. The book is about the relationship between the two women, from hostile to love, back to hostile and an eventual reconciliation. There is a hidden agenda, from Eve, in the relationship which relates back to the wartime occupation. To say any more would spoil the ending.
Cuddy by Benjamin Myers (Historical/Magical Realism Fiction)
Myers’ writing is beautiful, both his poetry and prose, with both featuring in this telling of the legend of St Cuthbert of Lindisfarne. The novel is a blend of styles and of fiction and supposition. It charts the life and cult like following of Cuddy across many centuries. Characters include monks from Cuthbert’s time, brewers, archers, builders, masons and mystics as they rescue his body from the Viking invaders. His coffin is carried around and protected by his followers for over a hundred years until a fitting resting place is found at what is now Durham Cathedral. It is a rich and wonderful tale, very atmospheric and a joy to read.
The Way I Found Her by Rose Tremain (Literary Fiction)
Lewis Little is a precocious brat, 13 years old and on the cusp of his sexual awakening. He travels to Paris with his mother who translates fiction for Valentyna, a Russian writer of medieval romances. Valentyna is kidnapped and Lewis believes that it is his destiny to find her but things don’t quite go to plan. Meanwhile his mother may be having an affair whilst his Dad is back home, making her a summer house for her workspace. The heat, the heady atmosphere of Paris and a summer of bohemian living take their toll on Lewis, who will never be same again.
Toksvig’s Almanac Sandi Toksvig (Nonfiction/Humour)
I read and still am reading Sandi Toksvig’s Almanac, an eclectic meander through the historical year 2021. The year is irrelevant to the contents as each day of the year is depicted by the birth or death of a significant woman, usually unheard of before. The women have made informative breakthroughs into the arts, science, and technology, areas where men have traditionally taken the credit. Toksvig’s observations and witty remarks make it a brilliant read and she encourages you to find out more about these extraordinary women. Toksvig narrates the audiobook and I should imagine it would be a joy to listen to.
Guilty By Definition by Susie Dent (Thriller/Crime Fiction)
A treat for anyone interested in words and derivations. A real cornucopia of scholarship and knowledge all wrapped into a murder/missing person mystery. I found the plot believable and cleverly constructed. The seekers of the answer are all employed as lexicologists on an Oxford Dictionary so, as you can imagine, it is all in the subtle meanings. I enjoyed it immensely and can only recommend it further.
April in Spain: A Novel by John Banville (Thriller/Crime Fiction)
This is the second book by Banville involving the Dublin pathologist Quirke. He is on holiday in San Sebastian with his beautiful wife, a woman he feels he doesn’t deserve because of his destructive alcoholic tendencies. He sees a woman in a bar who reminds him of his daughter’s childhood friend and when she speaks, the Dublin accent confirms his suspicions. However, this woman had been murdered by her brother so how can she be as large as life in Spain? Quirke sets a series of events in motion that expose the corruption of the young woman’s family and it ends with an unforeseen tragedy. An excellent read. I can definitely recommend this book and the first book in the series which is called Snow.
The Pumpkin Spice Cafe, by Laurie Gilmore (Cozy/Romance Fiction)
Picked it up from a bookshelf in a Turkish hotel. An easy-to-read romance. A young woman (Jeanie) has been left a cafe by her aunt in a small town in New England. She leaves her stressful life in the city and comes to run it. She meets a local farmer, Logan, and the two are instantly attracted to each other. But because of previous experiences, they both have serious commitment issues, and things keep cropping up which prevent the final step. Quite funny in places but becomes a bit predictable. I had hoped for some unexpected twists, but about halfway through I realised that probably wasn't going to happen. The very steamy descriptions when the couple finally get it together are a bit out of character with the tone of the book up to that point. And a little 'mystery' about who is causing mischief in the town and trying to scare Jeanie away does feel a bit like one of Scooby Doo's cases. Slightly disappointing, but I don't normally read cheesy romances like this, so probably just not what I expected to get from a "Sunday Times best-seller". It would have passed for a Channel 5 afternoon movie.
Slow Horses by Mick Herron (Thriller/Crime Fiction)
A novel about spies that have disgraced themselves in some way, each person’s faux pas being revealed as the book(s) go on. Having been sent to Slough House to carry out boring, mundane work, the misfits will do anything to get back to real spying. Led by Jackson Lamb, an obnoxious and disgusting man, the characters bounce off each other in anger and frustration. A kidnapping shows the incompetence of our mismatched rejects but as the plot develops there are surprises and thrills to keep you on your toes. It’s compelling reading, with well-rounded characters, twists and turns in a well written plot, with both humorous and revolting moments littered throughout.