In the Land of Second Chances: A Novel

3.5***

In Ebb, Nebraska, life is slow, and people are nice. There is no big box store, and no fast-food chain restaurant, though they do have a Starbucks. That’s the way they like to live. Wilma Porter runs the Come Again Bed-and-Breakfast, and also is a founder of the Quilting Circle, which is comprised of virtually every woman in Ebb. And then, on the first day of Spring, Wilma gets a call from a Mr. Vernon Moore who wants to rent a room for a short while. He says he is a traveling salesman, but he doesn’t seem to be selling anything. Still, his presence makes a difference in this community.

I was completely charmed by the residents of Ebb, and by the mysterious Vern Moore. I really enjoyed the philosophical discussions he engaged show more in. And I loved that the women of the town really ran the place, despite the local real-estate mogul thinking HE runs things.

This little book made me think while it entertained me. It’s a wonderful fable about hope and faith and community. show less

I just did not know what to make of this book. The voices of the characters are very well-written, I could hear the Midwestern small-town twang in so much of the dialogue and narration. And if the book had been a story of small-town life, I probably would have loved it. But this is the story of how Vernon Moore comes to this small town and allegedly changes the lives of so many of its residents. Moore's origins are a mystery, as is what he's actually doing in the town. But while he's there, he manages to convince several residents to have hope in the existence of God and an afterlife, all through using rational thought and mathematical probability. Knowing that Shaffner has also written a non-fiction book on the same subject made me show more feel as though I'd been tricked into reading a lecture. Nonetheless, the book is well-written and, for the most part, a pleasant way to read about the author's philosophical ideas. Still, I would have liked to see more about the characters, not to say some character development that could be explained by something in addition to the revelations from the entire town's new best friend, Vernon Moore. show less

This was a feel-good book. The characters were well realized and warm. It promoted faith without getting into a lot of religious doctrine.

I'm not entirely sure what to make of this book. It is definitely optimistic, sometimes didactic, and more than a little treacly, but all of that is balanced by the slightly cynical, worldly asides from main characters Wilma and Loretta. Vernon Moore arrives in Ebb as a traveling salesman, selling games of chance and, ultimately, hope, to the residents. This is certainly a paradigm-shifting book, though it is a little too pat to really have a strong impact.

I just finished this book tonight and like another reviewer, I'm not sure what I think about the book. I enjoyed, there were parts where I was amused and I found it easy to read. Vernon Moore is a traveling salesman who comes to Ebb, Nebraska, a town of 2,000, ostensibly selling games of chance, but really is selling hope. I fully intend to read the rest of the trilogy--maybe then I'll be able to figure out how I feel about the story. :)

I thought this was a fun, easy, light read that makes one stop & think about what is important in life. Not too deep and the characters are fun to read about.
Great beach or vacation book

These are light, but interesting, particularly if you live -- or have lived -- in southeast Nebraska. They are not to be read as fiction but as sort of an extended moral tale, like Aesop's or Grimm's stories. In that light, they're quite fun.