Bent Road

This weekend I found myself lounging on the couch for a bit, recovering from a full week of school and a quickie road trip to my sister's place to pick up my girls. Rarely do I find time to lay around doing nothing, but I was wiped out. Yet, I did make time (before and after naps) to read Lori Roy's novel, Bent Road.

This is a family story as well as one with a bit of suspense. Arthur and Celia have relocated from Detroit to Kansas, the same small town where Arthur grew up. Here they hope to start over with their three children. Elaine, their oldest daughter was receiving phone calls from African American boys in Detroit, and it is that which spurred on their move. Daniel, the son, is on the cusp of adulthood, crossing over from boy to man. And Evie, who so resembles Arthur's oldest sister, Eve, is small, hoping to grow and make a new start in this new home.

Arthur has stayed gone from home for years. After his oldest sister Eve's mysterious and tragic death before her wedding, Arthur has blamed himself for what happened. Now it appears that his sister, Ruth, needs his help. Stuck in a marriage to an abusive husband, Ray, Arthur vows he will protect this Ruth, although he ws unable to protect Eve.

To add to the tension, a young girl who looked remarkably like Eve and Evie has gone missing. Everyone in town feels that Ray is the guilty party - for the missing girl and for what happened to Eve years ago, and Ray does nothing to help his reputation by continuing his pattern of drunkeness.

Roy's novel kept me involved and guessing up until the end. I loved the 1960's setting, and can relate well to the Kansas farm setting. I will be looking for more of Roy's work in the future.