Review: Kick off your shoes and stay for a while.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 02 17, 2014
Sugar in My Whiskey by Duncan McGonall is a not a long book; however, my advice is that you kick off your shoes and take some time to dig into this gem of a story.The Pilkerman clan makes fine moonshine that helps the good residents of Maogupsie County forget their sorrows. Then one day an official-looking notice that resembles an arrest warrant appears on their property. To escape whatever punishment might be attached to the warrant, the clan takes their truck and hits the road with an assortment of family, friends, a dog and a hog. Local sheriff’s deputy Elmer Lee Hucker is trying to figure out exactly what’s going on. So are two federal agents, Bates and Jones, who bemoan the fact that they’re stuck in a Podunk town on a case that’s more complicated than it looks.The Maogupsie natives speak in a dialect that rings true (at least to my city slicker ears). The southern, backwoodsy dialect works for the story once you become accustomed to the rhythm and clang of the lingo. For example, when the offending warrant is discovered, one of the characters, Dew-Pee, says, “We got t’git… This here’s a warrant. I jes’ know it is!”The story takes unexpected turns and could use a bit more polish. Just like the Pilkerman’s road trip, there are bumps and twists along the way. Nevertheless, I recommend buckling in and going the distance to reap the unexpected rewards that unfold in the last part of the story. Buried under the antics and foibles of the Pilkermans and their foes, there’s a touching story of a young woman in search of herself. Mr. McGonall is a unique storyteller. I look forward to his next novel.