St. Dale

Rating:
Summary: A Wild Ride....
Review: As a high school librarian I was intriqued by the idea of a retelling of the Canterbury Tales from the NASCAR/Dale Earnhardt point of view. You don't have to know anything about NASCAR to enjoy this book. You don't have to know anything about Canterbury Tales to enjoy this book either. It's another of the sometimes humorous/sometimes sad, well-researched books that McCrumb provides to her readers. We've all gone on pilgrimages...sometimes for reasons we can't explain to anyone else...sometimes for reasons we can't even explain to ourselves. You will enjoy getting to know these pilgrims & the reasons why they are taking this journey. If you have someone of your gift list who is a fan of NASCAR, they will enjoy this book. If you have someone who is interested in pilgrimages, another niche filled. If you just like a well-written story, BUY THIS BOOK! It's another wonderful read from a terrific writer who has two teen-agers getting ready for college so BUY THIS BOOK! You won't be disappointed.

Rating:
Summary: Sharyn McCrumb Fan, GET THIS BOOK!
Review: I know, I know, you are thinking, "NASCAR? No way!" So did I. Let me assure you, this is one of her best, or maybe even *the* best, and I never thought anything could beat THE ROSEWOOD CASKET. Her same superb character depictions are there, the same sub-plots subtly woven together; the twist, the thing that is so *new* about this venture, is the allegorical theme. This one, like so many of her others, leaves you thinking about things for days afterwards, and pondering your own heroes and objects of worship. It's *that* good.
What I want to know is, why are her McPherson novels not listed in the front of this one, along with her Appalachian books? They are not cast-off children!

Rating:
Summary: Not just for NASCAR fans
Review: I picked up the book because it is by McCrumb, who has never disappointed me. Several pages in, I wondered why on earth am I reading a book about NASCAR and Dale Earnheardt - but it was McCrumb, so I persisted. And it is well worth the persisting. It is a wonderful story and, as usual, McCrumb makes her characters fully rounded and never condescends to them. As a writer above noted, it is sort of a retelling of the Canterbury Tales, but the pilgrimage is from the NASCAR track at Bristol to Daytona, with lots of stops in between. There is tragedy, humor, happy endings, and some characters' stories unresolved, but you'd like to know what happens to them.

Typical for McCrumb - it is a wonderful read.