A good novel leaves you wanting more. This was true of Frederick Buechner's magnificent novel Lion Country. Characters like the slippery evangelist Leo Bebb, his milquetoast assistant Brownie, and his sexy stepdaughter Sharon were just too interesting to leave alone. I couldn't wait to dig into Open Heart, the second of four books about the evangelist.
The book picks up a few years after the events of the previous book. Bebb has been riding the gravy train as the pastor of Redpath Ranch. Antonio and Sharon haven't so much settled down as just plain settled for married life in Connecticut. Brownie is, uh, still Brownie. The death of millionaire Herman Redpath leaves Bebb more or less independent financially, and so he decides to try out his fortunes up north. Bebb, a good old southern boy at heart, makes the most out of the move, but why is his wife Lucille wasting away so? Sometimes a person's past has more of a hold on a person than their present, and even a change of scenery can't compete with unresolved issues.
Frederick Buechner is a genius. He has the incredible ability to dream up these dislikeable characters and somehow, someway make you care for them. He can write a sad book that is somehow funny at the same time. Read Open Heart. You will weep for Lucille.
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