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Doc Ebersole lives with the ghost of Hank Williamsâ??not just in the figurative sense, not just because he was one of the last people to see him alive, and not just because he is rumored to have given Hank the final morphine dose that killed him.
In 1963, ten years after Hank's death, Doc himself is wracked by addiction. Having lost his license to practice medicine, his morphine habit isn't as easy to support as it used to be. So he lives in a rented room in the red-light district on the south side of San Antonio, performing abortions and patching up the odd knife or gunshot wound. But when Graciela, a young Mexican immigrant, appears in the neighborhood in search of Doc's services, miraculous things begin to happen. Graciela sustains a wound on her wrist that never heals, yet she heals others with the touch of her hand. Everyone she meets is transformed for the better, except, maybe, for Hank's angry ghostâ??who isn't at all pleased to see Doc doing well.
A brilliant excavation of an obscure piece of music history, Steve Earle's I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive is also a marvelous novel in its own right, a ballad of regret and redemption, and of the ways in which we remake ourselves and our world through the smallest of miracles… (more)
I think I enjoyed this so much because it was so unexpected. The cover drew me in, the author (being Steve Earle) compelled me to buy it and the story blew me away...it wasn’t at all what I was expecting, and it was a welcomed surprise. I really enjoyed the story and the characters although is does discuss drug use very accurately so it may be triggering for some. ( )
Although the ghostly apparition of Hank Williams didn't always work for me, I liked the magic realism of Graciela's gift. It took me awhile to get through the book but I'm glad I did. The characters had a strong authenticity to them and the tale of a down and out Doc saw me rate this 4 stars. ( )
I enjoyed the heck out of this book. I had no idea what to expect going in. I'm a fan of Earle's music, so I figured the writing would be at least okay.
Instead, I got a wonderful story that straddles the line between bleak and hopeful. And the audiobook version has a great bonus, but also serves as the only major downfall--Steve Earle reads his own book, which, for about 90% of the story, is great, with his accent and pronunciations serving only to pull the reader deeper into the world.
Where it falls down is when the story moves to the better spoken folk toward the end. Earle's writing is still great, and the words they speak are perfect, but Earle seems to stumble at times. I'm not saying he can't speak clearly, but the words simply don't seem to fit his mouth as well, and the story doesn't go with the same flow.
However, for the most part, this is only a couple of chapters, and the rest of the book is heartbreaking and funny and stupid and poignant.
Holy shit I loved this book. If Gabriel Garcia Marquez wrote about a heroin addicted abortionist, this would be it. Oh, and Hank Williams’ ghost is there too. ( )
An interesting mix of street life, magic, faith, and drug addiction, set in 1963 San Antonio around JFK's assassination, focusing on Doc who sees Hank Williams' ghost and Graciella who can heal people with her touch. ( )
Doc woke up sick, every cell in his body screaming for morphine - head pounding - eyes, nose, and throat burning.
Quotations
Now you're lookin' at a man that's gettin' kinda mad I've had a lot of luck but it's all been bad. No matter now I struggle and strive I'll never get out of this world alive.
Last words
Manny startled awake as the car door slammed shut and he found Graciela in the passenger seat, her eyes trained straight ahead down the road. "Time to go," she said softly, and the big Mexican started the car.
Doc Ebersole lives with the ghost of Hank Williamsâ??not just in the figurative sense, not just because he was one of the last people to see him alive, and not just because he is rumored to have given Hank the final morphine dose that killed him.
In 1963, ten years after Hank's death, Doc himself is wracked by addiction. Having lost his license to practice medicine, his morphine habit isn't as easy to support as it used to be. So he lives in a rented room in the red-light district on the south side of San Antonio, performing abortions and patching up the odd knife or gunshot wound. But when Graciela, a young Mexican immigrant, appears in the neighborhood in search of Doc's services, miraculous things begin to happen. Graciela sustains a wound on her wrist that never heals, yet she heals others with the touch of her hand. Everyone she meets is transformed for the better, except, maybe, for Hank's angry ghostâ??who isn't at all pleased to see Doc doing well.
A brilliant excavation of an obscure piece of music history, Steve Earle's I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive is also a marvelous novel in its own right, a ballad of regret and redemption, and of the ways in which we remake ourselves and our world through the smallest of miracles
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