Driftless
F. Scott Fitzgerald may be an American classic, but he was pretty conclusively wrong about one thing: There are plenty of second acts in American lives. In fact, cheering on a comeback story may just be a national pastime. (It鈥檚 one of our more endearing qualities.)
One of the more welcome second acts in years just landed on bookstore shelves this fall. In the 1970s, Iowa native David Rhodes published three critically lauded novels and seemed on his way to a productive and highly regarded career as a writer. Then in 1977, he was in a motorcycle accident that left him partially paralyzed.
Thirty years later, an editor from Milkweed Editions contacted Rhodes鈥檚 agent, who, according to interviews, didn鈥檛 even know Rhodes was still writing. Milkweed has just published his new novel, Driftless.
Critics aren鈥檛 collectively regarded as a warm-hearted bunch, but even Anton Ego (the imperious critic from 鈥淩atatouille鈥�) would have to applaud Rhodes. What makes the story even better is that 鈥淒riftless鈥� is such a rewarding read 鈥� a surely written, patient book about small-town life.
Between 鈥淒riftless鈥� and David Wroblewski鈥檚 鈥淭he Story of Edgar Sawtelle,鈥� rural Wisconsin is turning into a hotbed of American letters this year. (Manhattan probably isn鈥檛 eating its heart out, but would-be authors might be booking scouting weekends in Madison.)
鈥淒riftless鈥� follows the stories of about a half-dozen residents of the tiny town of Words, Wis., 鈥渁 place so rural God left his shoes there.鈥�
It鈥檚 located in the state鈥檚 Driftless region, the geography of which gives the book its title.聽 (There鈥檚 even a mini-Michener prologue that sets 鈥淒riftless鈥� in motion by explaining how this particular corner of Wisconsin happened to escape the glaciers of the Ice Age.
Words is not located on any maps, and there are no road signs pointing the way.
鈥淭his lack of posted information can be partly explained by the constraining budget of the Thistlewaite County Highway Commission and partly by the assumption of its rural members: people already know where they are,鈥� Rhodes writes. 鈥淣o provisions are made for those living without a plan.鈥�
If somehow, an outsider were to stumble on Words, the drama would not be immediately apparent. Dairy farmers Grahm and Cora Shotwell have uncovered evidence of corruption at the giant milk cooperative.
Meanwhile, Grahm鈥檚 sister plays bass in a local band and works at the local plastics factory. Retired farmer Rusty Smith is trying to get his house fixed up before his wife鈥檚 mother and sister come for a visit. Jacob Helm repairs machines and grieves for his dead wife.
Recently arrived Pastor Winifred is touched by the divine spirit, and finds everyday life very hard to tolerate after her revelation. Invalid Olivia Brasso, seeking a similar sign from God, gambles away her own and her sister鈥檚 life savings.
Oh, and there鈥檚 a cougar lurking about.
Tying them all together is July Montgomery, a drifter (and the main character from one of Rhodes鈥檚 earlier novels) who fetched up in Words 20 years earlier.
There鈥檚 dog fighting and a blizzard, and slowly the characters discover the ways in which they are unexpectedly linked.
鈥淒riftless鈥� shares a rhythm with the farming community it documents, and its reflective pace is well-suited to characters who are far more comfortable with hard work than with words.
(It鈥檚 almost impossible to imagine any of them 鈥� with the possible exception of Gail 鈥� writing a blog. It鈥檚 probably no coincidence that she鈥檚 the least compelling character.)
The story lines all unfold gradually, requiring patience and a certain amount of concentration from a reader until they intersect.
Rhodes gives fairly equal time to each character鈥檚 story, whether they start out as sanctimonious prigs (Olivia) or crotchety,
borderline-racist types (Rusty) and makes a reader appreciate the humanity in each of them.
The evenhandedness illustrates impressive self-control, because it鈥檚 easy to imagine an 鈥淎 Civil Action鈥�-style courtroom drama centered around the upright, naive Shotwells who take on the nefarious Agro giant. (The biblical David had it easy 鈥� Goliath didn鈥檛 have his own team of lawyers.)
Folks in Words aren鈥檛 generally enamored of progress, and tend to doubt that technological advances really count as leaps forward for civilization.
But it鈥檚 not a weary feeling, at least, not as Winifred experiences it.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think 鈥榩rogress鈥� or 鈥榟istory鈥� really exist,鈥� Winifred muses. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e made up. People imagine them to flatter themselves. We live in an eternal present, as does every other living thing. It changes, yet doesn鈥檛 change. We can no more understand the past than we can fly. The idea of progress and history is a product of pure cultural arrogance.鈥�
Or, as Olivia puts it more succinctly: 鈥淣ew is only old rearranged.鈥�
Rhodes has a strong authorial voice and firmly but gently herds his many narratives forward. But one side effect is that at times his voice penetrates the characters鈥� dialogue 鈥� making them sound didactic.
But since few readers will want to argue with the novel鈥檚 humane message, it鈥檚 ultimately a small failing in a wry, generous book that believes that, 鈥淭hings ought to be the way people think they are 鈥� when it鈥檚 possible.鈥�
Yvonne Zipp regularly reviews fiction for the Monitor.
