Passing Through All Right

Heading Out to Wonderful by Robert Goolrick
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a compelling story! From the moment you meet Charlie you realize that this is not going to be a simple story. Each time I turned the page, I was wondering, is it this chapter where the shoe is going to fall?

The author's opening line is "The thing is, all memory is fiction. You have to remember that." He goes on to say

This story actually happened, and it happened pretty much the way I'm going to tell it to you. It's a true story, as much as six decades of remembering and telling can allow it to be true. Time changes things, and you don't always get everything right."

Charlie walks into town a stranger--he's pretty much adopted by a family, then by the town. But Charlie has an obsession--her name is Sylvan. Heading Out to Wonderful is primarily their story, although you will meet many other people along the way.

I love how the book was written, in fact, the writing reminds me a little bit of My Ántonia. That too, was a story of ordinary people living ordinary lives, told in a respectful way.

I would say this story will also make you think of forgiveness, or, perhaps, the lack of forgiveness. We have so much to give each other, yet, so often we withhold ourselves, holding onto judgment instead.

Some favorite quotes:

When you're young, and you head out to wonderful, everything is fresh and bright as a brand-new penny, but before you get to wonderful, you're going to have to pass through all right.

Childhood is the most dangerous place of all and no one gets past it unscarred.

She could only think, there are no fires of hell, there is only mercy

This book may not be for everyone, it's written in a very reflective manner, but I thought it was excellent, and will be checking out other books by this author.


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