War Memorials

McCown sets out to make his protagonist, Nolan Vann, very likable, and he succeeds. He sets out to capture the positive aura of a small town where everyone knows everyone, and he succeeds there also, without whitewashing some unsavory aspects of small town life. The book is quite readable, but a little too slick. The final scene is particularly well written. For those readers who liked this book, but wish it weren't so slick, I recommend Shameless by Lisa Reardon.

I loved reading about the quirky, yet funny characters in this novel. I identified with Nolan's search for meaning in an ordinary life without guideposts, like his father's war, to lend him meaning. We all want to feel special and feel that we are doing something worthwhile and we want to be happy and loved. I rooted for Nolan to "get it together" and find his happiness. The writing style is fresh and I laughed out loud at some of the people in Nolan's little town, (especially the parts about "Fred"). I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes humor with great characters and a fresh outlook on ordinary humans who struggle to find their own war memorials.

Twice reported dead in World War II, Jimmy Vann finally found his life's calling after reading his own glowing (albeit premature) obituary -- the selling of life insurance! Nolan is Jimmy's son and falls far short of his father's expectations. With no war of his own to give him focus, Nolan lives a life without aim or direction in the small Southern town where he grew up. During the span of a two-week carnival (and in the midst of a failing marriage) Nolan finds work as a repo man and inadvertently finds himself launched upon a journey of self-discovery populated by a series of memorable characters including a zookeeper specializing in dangerous animals, an inconvenient corpse, and a family of snake handlers. War Memorials is original, surprising, exceptionally well crafted, and a totally satisfying novel of life, love, and the search for meaning -- accidental or otherwise!

What Clint McCown accomplishes in his new novel is nothing short of miraculous: reveal meaning in the most mundane occurrances of our lives. Through his meticulous examination of small town life, he locates the universal in experiences ranging from father/son relationships to love and death. His feckless hero is nonetheless a hero and his adventures and misadventures become guideposts for the pitfalls we all face in our lives. It's a wonderful book, beautifully rendered, and recommended for everyone.