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Walking Across Egypt

Clive Edgerton

Algonquin Books, 1987

ISBN 0-912697-51-2

n/a

Jan 29/Feb 2 (emu)

Review, by emu: This book is a funny Southern story of an old woman who's, in her own words, "slowing down." She doesn't understand her children, is embarassed to be watching soap operas, and will cook a meal for anyone who comes by her house for any reason. Since she's an excellent cook, people don't mind that much. After calling a dogcatcher to get rid of a dog she'd found on her doorstep (she's slowing down, she can't take care of a dog) she hears about the dogcatcher's nephew, a boy named Westly who's at a correction center for stealing a car. After church one day, she's inspired by the readings to go and visit the boy, and through a series of events he comes to live with her.

I picked this up while shelving one day, and it struck my fancy. It's quite funny... Egerton's characters are all such characters, but at the same time they're the kind of people you know. The old woman, Mattie, is hilarious... seemingly oblivious to the real world, so much that it concerns all who know her, but she knows what she's doing, more or less. There are a lot of religious refrences in the book... It was interesting for me, who isn't really religious at all, to get a peek into the minds of religious characters. Quite a good read. Recommended.

Walking Across Egypt	Clive Edgerton
Algonquin Books, 1987	ISBN 0-912697-51-2
n/a	Jan 29/Feb 2 (emu)
Review, by emu: This book is a funny Southern story of an old woman who's, in her own words, "slowing down." She doesn't understand her children, is embarassed to be watching soap operas, and will cook a meal for anyone who comes by her house for any reason. Since she's an excellent cook, people don't mind that much. After calling a dogcatcher to get rid of a dog she'd found on her doorstep (she's slowing down, she can't take care of a dog) she hears about the dogcatcher's nephew, a boy named Westly who's at a correction center for stealing a car. After church one day, she's inspired by the readings to go and visit the boy, and through a series of events he comes to live with her. I picked this up while shelving one day, and it struck my fancy. It's quite funny... Egerton's characters are all such characters, but at the same time they're the kind of people you know. The old woman, Mattie, is hilarious... seemingly oblivious to the real world, so much that it concerns all who know her, but she knows what she's doing, more or less. There are a lot of religious refrences in the book... It was interesting for me, who isn't really religious at all, to get a peek into the minds of religious characters. Quite a good read. Recommended.