Small Town OddsWriting with an acute sense of place and character reminiscent of Richard Russo, Jason Headley's first novel tells the hilarious and poignant story of Eric Mercer and Pinely, West Virginia. Enromously likeable and a habitual screw-up, Eric has settled into a sometimes raucous, underachieving life in his one-stoplight hometowna life cobbled together from his part-time activities as bartender at the American Legion, assistant mortician, and father to his beloved 5-year-old daughter, Tess. Tess seems to be the main reason smart, talented, twenty-four-year-old Eric is staying in town, though her mom, a centerfold-quality beauty, would have it otherwise. When Jill, the lost love of his life, returns to Pinely in the same week that the town goes nuts in preparation for the high school football team's Big Game, life unexpectedly shifts into high gear, and Eric must blunder his way toward enlightenmentfast. Authentic, irresistible, and refreshingly unpredictable, Small Town Odds is the debut of a graceful and gifted writer. Barnes & Noble Best of 2004: Staff Picks |
Contents
Section 1 | 9 |
Section 2 | 11 |
Section 3 | 41 |
Section 4 | 57 |
Section 5 | 87 |
Section 6 | 105 |
Section 7 | 137 |
Section 8 | 149 |
Section 9 | 183 |
Section 10 | 203 |
Section 11 | 239 |
Section 12 | 251 |
Section 13 | 287 |
Section 14 | 311 |
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Common terms and phrases
Abby Alright anymore beer Blanche breath Buddy Cedarsville Coach Gleason condom machine Daddy Danny Deke looked Deke's dad door drink drunk Dupree's Eric answered Eric asked Eric closed Eric felt Eric looked Eric nodded Eric thought Eric's Ernie eyes face feel finally football front fuck funeral home George Dupree Gina Gina Stevens Gina's Ginastevens girl going gonna hand happened he'd heard hearse hell Hey Dad hotdogs Huey inside Jill knew laughed Legion Leslie White looked at Eric Miss Vicky mouth never night Nudie magazines okay picked Pinely Playboy pretty pulled quickly realized remember seemed shit shook his head shoulder shrugged sitting smell smile someone standing staring started stood stopped sure talk tell Tess thing told took town Tremble Tremble's truck trying turned voice walked West Virginia What's Yeah