TRAVELER

Thomas Wolfe be damned! Not only can you go home again--there are times when you must. That's the underpinning of Ron McLarty's beguiling new novel, which alternates between two worlds--the close-knit existence of first-generation working-class Americans in East Providence in the early 1960s and the nonprofit theater world early in this century. Jono Riley, a kid then, is a bartender and part-time actor now. What propels the plot backward and forward is the stuff of the mystery infusing the tale. McLarty himself is a familiar face and voice from his work as a character actor and audiobook narrator. He brings just the right nuances and hints of accents, gender, and age to his cast of characters. When melded with vivid reflections of place, they make his story wondrously poignant and completely real. M.J.B. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/ JUL 07]