How the Hula Girl Sings
by Joe Meno
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Description
A haunted ex-con returns to his hometown: "Fans of hard-boiled pulp fiction will particularly enjoy this novel" (Booklist).Luce Lemay is out on parole three years after an awful tragedy sent him to prison. In his small Illinois town, he does his best to find hope: in a new job at the local Gas-N-Go; in his companion and fellow ex-con, Junior Breen, who spells out puzzling messages to the unquiet ghosts of his past; and finally, in the arms of the lovely but reckless Charlene.
But sorrow show more and violence lie in his path, in this suspenseful exploration of a country bright with the far-off stars of forgiveness and dark with the still-looming shadow of the death penalty.
"A wonderful accomplishment . . . The power is in the writing. Mr. Meno is a superb craftsman." —Hubert Selby Jr., bestselling author of Last Exit to Brooklyn
"The author moves the story along at a surprisingly fast and easy pace." —Kirkus Reviews
"Moving . . . Meno has a poet's feel for small-town details, life in the joint and the trials an ex-con faces, and he's a natural storyteller with a talent for characterization." —Publishers Weekly
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Member Reviews
The great thing about Joe Meno is that when he writes, he actually becomes the characters. The writing styles on all of his books have been vastly different, but they all still retain the poetic quality that makes them so enjoyable. This book is written from the point of view of a Southern ex-con, and while it can get a little awkward and "fumbly" at times, in general, it's pretty good. There isn't a major plot, but the story keeps going at a good enough pace that I never became bored.
The great thing about Joe Meno is that when he writes, he actually becomes the characters. The writing styles on all of his books have been vastly different, but they all still retain the poetic quality that makes them so enjoyable. This book is written from the point of view of a Southern ex-con, and while it can get a little awkward and "fumbly" at times, in general, it's pretty good. There isn't a major plot, but the story keeps going at a good enough pace that I never became bored.
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Author Information
18+ Works 2,680 Members
Common Knowledge
- People/Characters
- Luce Lemay; Charlene Dulaire; Junior Breen
- Important places
- La Harpe, Illinois, USA
- Epigraph
- I know I had it coming. I know I can't be free, but those people keep moving, and that's what tortures me...
-Johnny Cash, "Folsom Prison Blues" - Dedication
- In memory of Johnny Cash
- First words
- Out of nowhere, I did what I ought not to.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Maybe it isn't exactly clear how your heart beats, good or evil, dishonest, or sweet, until it's your time all alone in the dark, listening to the quiet whisper of your own lonely heart, the empty thump of your own fears shivering like an old kettle drum, bent and rusted and warped all wrong, or the distant murmur of all your hope, the lonely lullaby of a hula girl's song.
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Statistics
- Members
- 152
- Popularity
- 214,442
- Reviews
- 2
- Rating
- (3.53)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 3
- ASINs
- 3
