Review: True Religion, tar buckets, and a Dad's disclaimer
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 02 28, 2012
Is Anna Finkwell's debut taleTar Mama A Dad's Disclaimer Storya chick lit short story? Some may think so, but I don't. It begins like this:"All families have a story they love to reminisce over. Sweet, light, cute. Might even bring a tear to your eye. I know my eyes water up every time I remember that delicious soup Mama made in my younger years."Already there's a feel of eloquence here, then it goes on: "'Y'all like it?' Mama asked, as she dished out seconds to my brother Mole and me. We nodded in delight, eager for more. `Good. I know Fluffy would be glad to hear that.'"I wondered who Fluffy was, and then went on:"But I won't bore you with how Mama cooked up my pet bunny. I won't bog you down with details like how I fed and cared for Fluffy every day, about how I won a first prize trophy for her at the state fair. That story has been around the block and back again.I want to tell you the story that never hears the light of day--you know--that story no one is ever brave enough to mention. The one hiding under the rug."Hold on... the mother cooked her pet rabbit, and they all ate it, even asking for more?  This would be a tragic beginning, but author Anna Finkwell has a way of putting things that made me laugh as I was drinking my lukewarm coffee, resulting in the need for a change of shirts.But I read on.  And I laughed.  More than once.  And maybe laughed in parts that I shouldn't have, but I did.Read it yourself.  Find out about a thirteen-year-old girl entering the eighth grade who lusts for some two hundred dollar True Religion jeans.  True Religion jeans?  I didn't even know that such a brand existed, but paused reading to look it up... and they do. And some are far more expensive that that, so I learned something new.So I read on, reaching the point about how "Mama's doe eyes lit up like a dandelion in the midday sun..."That stopped me for a moment, thinking how beautiful that expression sounded.  And I read the following: "Then she dragged us all outside to wax eloquent about the deck. She envisioned the works--festive barbecues, showboating her flower garden, schmoozing with the neighbors over cocktail sausages, and lavish pool parties."Two sentences, not that many words, but so very expressive of emotions and feeling that we don't encounter with an author's debut book.  And then I realized that this short fourteen page (or thereabout) on a Kindle was something special.Maybe I should put it this way: if you enjoy such noteworthy books as Bailey White's classicMama Makes Up Her Mindor Susan Gregg Gilmore's novelLooking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen, then you won't be disappointed.  That same richness of words and three-dimensional emotion is there.In terms of pure reading enjoyment, this little book is every bit as good as Fannie Flagg'sFried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe: A Novel, with one exception: it's far too short.  And this reader is truly hoping to see more from this very promising author in the future.  On a broader context, I hope that this short story is really part of a larger work involving the same characters and setting we encounter here.I won't go any further, as anything more that I could say would be a spoiler.  You'll have to see for yourself why the title "Tar Mama" is so relevant.  If this book were longer, where we had a chance to really get to know the characters, then it would be a true 5-star read.  But as I said before, author Anna Finkwell has a way with words... and I had a hard time stopping my laughter.  Just be sure to put your coffee down before you start reading.