White Crosses

I found this novel of mid-century small-town life and its fascinating character study hard to put down. Written with elements of crime fiction, it's an ironic account of how a well-meaning county sheriff's cover-up attempt leads to a series of worrisome complications and finally to a devastating resolution. Everyone has their secrets and is guilty of something, the sheriff has come to believe, and he is no exception. As author Watson probes deeper into his character, we find the weaknesses and moral ambiguities hidden within an otherwise likable man who happens to represent law and order. Readers more interested in plot may become impatient with the author's frequent digressions, which are meant to peel away layer after layer of his character's persona, but for me these revelations made the progress of the story even more tantalizing. In the end, it turns out to be important that we know this man inside and out. Watson has a sure grasp of small-town and rural life and the pressures it creates on individuals and their relationships with one another. His Jack Nevelsen is another in a line of well-drawn sheriffs (See "Montana 1948" and "Justice," which both take place in the same western town, Bentrock). Watson is a fine writer with a gift for illuminating the inner worlds of what seem to be predictable and ordinary people. He seems filled with this sense of wonder. Like the pair of bachelors, identical twins, drinking at a bar, or a cantankerous rancher who believes, with scant evidence, that his cattle are being rustled, or the widow who reports that her S & H Green Stamps have been stolen, there is much to be known about them that will never be known - and will go with them to the grave.

I am a very avid reader, and during camp I came accross this book. I could not put it down! I called my best friend to let her know she HAD to read it. I anjoyed the personal touch he gave to his characters. I felt I was a part of the book. It drew me in. I have not read any other of Larry Watson's book, but I know I will be heading out soon for Montana 1948.

Oh, well, I guess you either could love it or hate it. I'm an AP English student, and this book was on our list of AP-approved books. My teacher recommended it, so I read it. I really enjoyed this book. Most of the plot is based on Jack's internal conflicts and his thoughts. I have never read a book before in which the protagonist thought so much. This is not an action book-it is a thoughtful book. It is also very realistic. Some of the other reviewers said that they disliked the ending. I don't think you're really supposed to like the ending; it's not meant to be a happy ending! You're not even supposed to like Jack! He's somewhat despicable, and everything that happens to him as a result of his lie is his own fault. I think this book is brilliant, and I know there are other people out there who would think so, too.

I liked this book!! I thought it had an O. Henry ending that I wasn't suspecting, and it really grabbed me. It reinforced what we were supposed to learn as kids--don't tell a lie!! Very simplistic, but look at all the trouble that one little (uneccesary) lie created. I thought it was a great moral tale, and a friendly reminder that honesty is the best policy.

I read Larry Watson's latest novel about 6 months ago, but just read the review by the Floridian given above, and feel compelled to respond to such an ill-tempered and vacuous review ("author must know the publisher"). Watson's book is, perhaps, his finest to date. A tender love story--with all the complex emotions (passion,responsibilities, guilt, and much more), human frailities (deceit, revenge, hate), and dumb luck (and unluck) that this invariably involves. Levels of love are layered as artfully as are Watson's stories within stories: to whom is one faithful--a lover, a wife, a family member,a friend, a community? And what is the meaning of "unfaithfulness." And what is the price we pay--as individuals, as family, and as community--for doing the "right" thing. I can only conclude that life in Florida must be a lot more boring and tiresome than it is in Bentrock, Montana (or most other spots I've been lucky to know). R. Schlack ([email protected]), Kenosha, WI.