The Runaway

50 years after the period during which they are portrayed to have occurred, Terry Kay has produced a wholly entertaining novel concerning the lives and times of peoples in the "deep South", those who had participated in WWII and how this apparently affected the way they considered their black neighbours afterwards.I would have considered "The Runaway" to be just like countless other novels, a way of excusing past acts which today would be considered inexcusable and reprehensible. Except that it started my mind wondering about what people today still have problems getting to terms with. Tolerance, or the lack of, still affects the way most people consider their fellows. Today, the differences tend to be mainly represented by religious beliefs or sexual preferences. We haven't yet learned to "Live And Let Live" as far as this is possible.So if you read "The Runaway" which I whole-heartedly recommend, just spare a thought for all those others whose lives may be unbearable today because of "intolerance".

Oh, how I adore good Southern writing, and oh, how "The Runaway," meets all my critera for achieving that accolade. Set in rural Georgia in the 1940's, the tale is rich with eccentric characters who "guaren-damn-tee" to provoke empassioned feelings. The dialogue is sharp. The plot trenchant. Humor, racial tension, and suspense drive this story along like a raft on a ever-winding river. Each twist and turn swirls the story into unexpected surprises, and rafts the reader over waterfalls of human frailities and outlandish behaviors. Terry Kay style is a blend of Mark Twain and William Faulkner; his writing is that clever, that diverse, that colorful. I applaud his masterful abilities, and encourage all lovers of southern fiction to pick up this vivid, delightful, insightful page turning tale. This is most definitely a MUST READ!!

Impossible as it might seem, Terry Kay's The Runaway outshines all his previous efforts! Kay is a brilliant writer, gifted with that rare ability to say a great deal with few words. And he just keeps getting better! Many present-day authors have achieved acclaim and popularity for their plots. But few of them can equal Kay in character development and writing style. Kay's prose flows like a beautiful melody. His characters exude a vitality and genuineness that only a person of keen insight into human nature can perceive and a Master of Words can aptly portray. I grew up in 1950's Atlanta and was delighted by the "southernisms" that peppered the story throughout - they really took me back! And lastly, I would like to thank Mr. Kay for his message that not all white Southerners in the 1940's were racists - that there were Southerners who despised prejudice and unkindness toward any human being. Hats off to Mr. Kay for a compelling story, well told.

From the first page, Terry Kay catches the cadence of the South. His dialogue is so well written, his characters down to earth and funny, his lyricism rises to sheer poetry. This man is absolutely one of the best novelists around. From Tom Winter, the lying lazy kid in all of us, to Frank Rucker, the bashful ex-soldier turned sheriff, to Conjure Woman with her supernatural powers - The Runaway is a treat to the eye, to the ear, and to the heart. I was sad to see it end.

I have only read half the book, but the writing style and the author's description of the characters and the land are absolutely wonderful. I can conjure up every situation in the story and the humor with which this story is written is very subtle, but very satisfying. This book is exactly what I love reading. I hope I can find many more books by Terry Kay!