This is a book anyone would describe as heartwarming. Winston Browne is the Sheriff in Moab, a small town in the Florida panhandle. He has never married. It is the mid-1950s. We learn immediately that Winston is dying, but along the way we learn more, including that he is not telling anyone about this. His best friend forever is Jimmy, a workaholic who has courted but never married Eleanor another high school friend. All of them are now in their fifties.
Early on, we also are privy to a shadowy situation in which an older woman is obviously rescuing a young girl from the only life she has ever known in a highly restrictive, abusive cult where she was raised as an orphan, along with others. It seems that her life is now in danger and she is given very clear instructions on how to know who to trust as she is sent alone on a train that will require changing to another train. She does not understand even remotely what is happening to her and she fears the trouble she would get in if the leader of the cult catches up with her. When the little girl has reason to doubt her safety, she lands in Moab, mute and with no known background. Winston and Eleanor get involved with her.
Jimmy is left on the periphery, having messed up one time too many when he failed to escort Eleanor to a community event. Eleanor is decidedly miffed. He starts to believe there is something between Winston and Eleanor and this permeates part of the story. As a kind of foster parent/guardian, Winston tries to turn the little girl (now known to be Jesse) to safe activities because she “acts out” a lot. Uh, can you say trauma? This leads to his involving her in the local baseball team he coaches. He then begins mentoring adds to the team Buzz, the son of a high school friend who passed away unexpectedly. The two “misfit” children become close.
Jesse turns out to be in serious danger, so having the sheriff and his team as friends comes in handy but it is not foolproof. The relationships among these individuals, their ultimate loyalty to one another, their love for the most flawed among them is powerful. The found family concept runs through this book with great love, humor, compassion and unsentimental authenticity. The “plot” is what happens in the lives of a miscellany of people during a period of time in Moab, Florida. The stories within this are sweet, scary, fun, sad and everything that makes up the lives of such varied individuals with such varied temperaments, experiences, and needs. Best of all, this is again an audio book I read and the author narrated it with such power and love it is a real favorite!
They Called me Bookworm 