As the top “Road Warrior” of
contemporary American fiction Robert Eringer—like the hero of the iconic Willie
Nelson song—is happiest when with his friends he is “On the Road Again," and in
his latest and best novel—Book Drive—he
takes his readers on yet another trip they will long remember.
As in his well-regarded earlier
Road Novels—Motional Blur (2016) and Last Flight Out (2019)—Eringer uses the
device of a journey to tell a riveting story about believable and appealing
characters whose travails illustrate some larger truths concerning the human
condition.
The journey in question is taken
by an elderly once famous writer—Christopher Lathom—as a promotional tour for
his first novel in thirty years.
Proceeding along the scenic
coastal route from L.A. to Seattle a series of misfortunes overtake Lathom
which provide striking insights into a dysfunctional legal system, a declining
publishing industry and the inanity of political correctness, which
collectively compel this memorably-rendered protagonist to confront the utter
bleakness of his mismanaged life.
Eringer’s gift is his ability to
make you care about this dyspeptic and querulous character.
Through an ingenious series of
plot twists and turns there emerges a painful but moving tale of human
redemption through the power of love and family.
To say you can’t put this book
down and you won’t forget it would greatly understate its excellence.
William
Moloney’s reviews have appeared in the Wall St. Journal, Philadelphia Inquirer,
Washington Times and The Hill.
