Poodie James

Elegant writing and a compelling, heartfelt story. Reminds me of Steinbeck. I couldn't put this down. A beautiful book full of insight and heart.

A beautiful portrait of life in a small town in Eastern Washington during the Truman years, with characters you're not otherwise likely to have met. It's a great story, well told.

The main character of Poodie James struck a deep chord in me, as I knew a "Poodie" in my Southern California childhood. Ramsey writes in such a vivid, straight-ahead manner that I couldn't put the book down until I'd finished. His use of the language is beautiful and flowing--reminds me of Sinclair Lewis; his characters are colorful, alive and totally believable, and the darkness that lurks in some of them as frightening as the heroism and courage of others is inspiring.

Poodie James is a beautifully written novel. Ramsey's prose is musical and poetic with memorable characters and a poignant, uplifting story. Reading this morality tale encourages us to re-evaluate our own prejudices and meditate on the nature of power in society. The outwardly powerful and corrupt Mayor Torgerson is driven by his fears and prejudices to persecute the seemingly powerless Poodie James--small, poor, and deaf, but at core a stronger man by virtue of his honesty, intelligence and sensitivity. One can't help but care about Poodie James. If any filmmakers are out there who revere the work of Frank Capra, this could be a wonderful movie. Hey, Joel and Ethan Coen--are you listening?