Walking Across Egypt / Clyde Edgerton

A humorous and a fast paced book. An easy read.

"I got as much business keeping a dog as I got walking across Egypt," says Mattie. Mattie's stray dog started a lot of drama for her. Mattie met Lamar, the dog catcher who took the dog to the pound. Mattie met Wesley, Lamar's nephew.

Mattie loves to cook and feed everyone. She is a very generous host. Her meals are down home southern food. (My mouth watered-up just visualizing all this food.) She prepared home cooked meals three times a day. It's no wonder she had so many visitors.

Mattie was an elderly woman with a lot of energy and very trusting. She had a soft spot in her heart for Wesley. Wesley had gotten himself into a lot of trouble. He escaped a juvenile detenion center. He began to stay with Mattie in her home. Mattie thought she could take him to church with her and help to turn him around. Wesley got into more trouble by stealing the church member's car. She thought her meals would solve everyone's problems. I believe she thought her food would change the sheriff's mind about taking Wesley to jail; it came close to it when Mattie convinced the Sheriff to have a bite to eat before he took Wesley away.

Mattie was a Christian woman and she intended to help Wesley over come his problems and become a Christian too. "Whatso ye do unto one of the least of these my brothern you do also to me," says Mattie. Which she believes by helping Wesley she is also helping the Lord. All she wants is respect from Wesley. Mattie was a widow and her grown children didn't "need" her any more. Mattie wants to feel needed and useful to someone. The stray boy and the stray dog will do just fine. Wesley wants a grandmother and Mattie wants to be a grandmother. It couldn't get any better than that.

A good story for teens and adults.


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The World Made Straight

The World Made Straight was a good group discussion book.

Having no goals in life is what drew Travis, Leonard and Dena together. They all had given up on life. They had nothing to look forward to. They were ok with just getting by. Travis' only happiness came when he passed his GED. I wanted to see Leonard get himself together and apply himself more. Leonard seemed almost like a father figure to Travis.

Travis was trying to be a tough guy. His father verbally abused him therefore; he could not help but to make poor choices. His low self-esteem left him open for Lori, Leonard and others to control him by telling him what they thought he should do. He began to resent them for that.

Perhaps, Travis thought by trying to rescue Dena he could get his revenge on the Toomeys for what they had done to him. The plans spiraled out of control; he was now completley on his own. There was no one to push him around any more. He left his father's house. He left Lori. Dena left town. The Toomeys and Leonard were dead. Travis was free from everyone; his world was then made straight.

A rather somber book.