SWEAR TO HOWDY

"I swear to Howdy, if you tell a soul . . . " Joey Banks drawls, eliciting promises of secrecy from his best friend Russell Cooper. "Rusty Boy" readily complies in this story, reminiscent of Robert Newton Peck's tales of boyhood buddies--but with a dark twist. In keeping with his ear for character, Jeff Woodman breathes life into a full cast of characters. Joey is alternately alight with outrageous plans, wild with hyperactive enthusiasm, or desperately pleading in the face of his drunken father's gruff-voiced rage. In contrast, Rusty's no-nonsense father elicits trust and, ultimately, the truth from a son torn between loyalty to his best friend and gut-wrenching guilt over the death of Joey's annoying sister, Amanda Jane. Both humorous and tragic, SWEAR TO HOWDY is a riveting journey. T.B. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/ NOV 04]