Moonpies and Movie Stars

For any fan of reading, this book is a must! What a fun little ride this treasure is! Amy Wallen certainly can spin a yarn!!!! Meet Ruby Kincaid from Devine, Texas, population under 900!!!! Ruby owns and operates a bowling alley and if that isn't enough, she is raising her two young grandchildren, Bunny and Bubbie. Bunny and Bubbie have been abandoned by their mom, Ruby's daughter, Violet. Violet has taken off for parts unknown, leaving her family, children, home town. Then, one day, Violet is on TV. She is the actress playing the ButterMaid in a commercial. Chaos ensues -- Ruby, her fun-loving, rip-roaring, man-loving sister Loralva, Bunny and Bubbie, and Imogene, Violet's mother-in-law, all pack themselves into Imogene's Winnebago and head west. California here they come!!!!! The road trip and everything that happens to these fun characters is a riot! The writing is excellent and very descriptive. The characters personalities SHINE. Ms. Wallen's artistic gift of writing has you seeing a crystal clear picture of everything -- from the landscape, the weather, the outfits Loralva throws together, to the character's emotions, the slang of the Texas characters -- this is such a good book. Loralva's dream is to go to California and appear on THE PRICE IS RIGHT and it is almost as if YOU are sitting in the audience also or watching it on TV. Ms. Wallen has it down pat -- COME ON DOWN and read this book. The plot moves and flows, the characters are life-like and become people you learn to care about. Hopefully, there will be more books with these fun and interesting group of characters in it. The road is bumpy, dreams don't always come true for these people, and the book is fun and entertaining. Do yourself a favor and read this book. Also, note the jacket cover and artwork! How great, how creative, how the story is told from the jacket cover itself. Hats off to Roseanne Serra and Ross MacDonald for their creativity! Read this book, hope for more. You will love it and have a good time reading this one!!!!! Thank you!! Pam

What I love about this book is that these characters could so easily have turned into stereotypes, but luckily for the reader, Wallen adeptly weaves in emotions and heartache into the hilarious story. So, whether you grew up in the South or in Hollywood, you care. You keep reading not only for the humor and quirkiness, but to find out what happens to these people who you've come to worry about. They are wonderfully flawed. Everyone has met these people before in their lives, most likely in their families! Reading this book was like catching up with someone you care about after they've taken a long trip.

The party food description first hooked me on Amy Wallen's hoot of a book - anyone who has grown up in the midwest (or Texas) has to be drawn in and repulsed at the same time by the pink and green ladyfingers, the puppy peters (Vienna sausages swimming in chili sauce), and lime jello mold. And, of course, the moonpies. Ms. Wallen is equally vivid with her dialogue, zeroing in on the accents and colloquialisms of small town Texans. Let's hope we haven't seen the last of these characters!

Two books down into my vacation, I found myself up against the brick wall that is the first page of Ulysees. My New Year's resolution wavered. Maybe next year. My wife had just read MoonPies and Movie Stars, and raved about it. "Not my kind of book," I said. "It's everybody's kind of book," she said. To prove her wrong, I started to read it, and immediately found myself hooked into the story. Her characters are quirky, but full-bodied - not just goofy stereotypes of Southerners. It was funny, but it was also heartfelt, and I found myself actually caring about people who aspire to be on the Price is Right. A very sharp debut - literary, without the pretention. I can't wait to read more by Wallen.

For anyone who wants a comedy about small town folks on their way to Hollywood, this is THE book. The characters were vivid and show their deeper yearnings for love, family, and relationships -- all while excited over getting tickets to The Price Is Right. Lots of good stuff here. I'll read it more than once!