Back-of-the-book-blurb: What do a trigger-happy bootlegger with pancreatic cancer, an alcoholic helicopter pilot who is afraid to fly, and a dead guy with his feet in a camp stove have in common? What are the similarities between a fire department that cannot put out fires, a policeman who has a historic cabin fall on him from out of the sky, and an entire family dedicated to a variety of deceased authors? Where can you find a war hero named Termite with a long knife stuck in his liver, a cook named Hoghead who makes the world’s worst coffee, and a supervisor named Pillsbury who nearly gets hung by his employees?
Sequoyah, Georgia is the answer to all three questions. They arise from the relationship between A. J. Longstreet and his best friend since childhood, Eugene Purdue. After a parting of ways due to Eugene’s inability to accept the constraints of adulthood, he reenters A.J.’s life with terminal cancer and the dilemma of executing a mercy killing when the time arrives. Take this gripping journey to Sequoyah, Georgia and witness A.J.’s battle with mortality, euthanasia, and his adventure back to the past and people who made him what he is – and helps him make the decision that will alter his life forever.
She Is Too Fond Of Books’ Review: The back-of-the-book-blurb doesn’t do justice to the character study that is The Front Porch Prophet! As I read it I was reminded of the tradition of oral storytelling; the rocking chair on the cover invites the reader in to listen to the story of A. J. Longstreet and the other colorful residents of Sequoyah, Georgia. Sequoyah itself is a character, whose unique personality has helped shape each of its inhabitants:
A thousand souls reside in the town of Sequoyah, Georgia, sixty miles southwest of Chatanooga. Located in a mountain valley surrounded by peaks, Sequoyah does not differ significantly from countless other small communities dotting the Southern landscape. It has a store and a gas station, a diner and four churches. It boasts a school, a post office, a traffic light, and a town hall. There is a doctor, a lawyer, and an Indian chief – or at least, that is what he claims. Over the years, however, the settlement has developed a character unique to itself. The whole has exceeded the sum of the parts. The individuals who resided there have left traces, pieces of the patchwork of their lives.
A. J. Longsteet has been called “up the mountain” by his former best friend, Eugene Purdue. Eugene tells A.J. that he is dying from pancreatic cancer, wants to let bygones be bygones, and has one last request of A. J. – for A. J. to help Eugene end his life when suffering becomes too great. While A. J. doesn’t readily agree to euthanize Eugene, he does wonder if he has what it takes to help his friend in this way.
We journey with A. J. as he helps Eugene through the next few months, and as he dips into his own memories to see what has shaped him into the man he is.
It’s a serious set-up, told in a way that had me nodding in agreement as I recognized certain exaggerated characteristics that I see in myself and my own friends and family. Tempering the underlying plot of Eugene’s demise is Atkins great sense of humor, which pokes fun of regional traditions, such as in this passage near the beginning where we are introduced to A. J.:
Arthur John became initialized early in life. Initialization is a Southern rite of passage akin to the Hebrew tradition of circumcision, but it is sometimes less painful, and does not always occur on the seventh day. So Arthur John Longstreet became A. J., and A. J. he has remained.
Shortly after, we meet A.J.’s wife, Maggie, and learn that her family also has a unique naming tradition:
Emily Charlotte was the Longstreet’s oldest child at eleven years. In a break with a tradition that had been handed down from mother to daughter for generations in Maggie’s family, Emily Charlotte was named after not one but two of her mother’s favorite authors, the Bronte sisters. A. J. was unaware of this unusual family tradition when he married Maggie but probably would have taken her to love, honor, and obey anyway, had he known. The other two children, Harper Lee and J. J. (short for James Joyce, much to A. J.’s dismay), had to resign themselves to being living tributes to only one of Maggie’s cherished writers. Emily took every opportunity to point out this literary shortcoming to her siblings, because it was her job to torment her younger brother and sister. It was a duty she took seriously.
Atkins writes with a sly wink as he brings us into the novel; what could be a series of yarns or tales of “the fish that got away” are pulled together in a wonderful story of friendship, personal growth, sacrifice and love. The Front Porch Prophet was a very satisfying read, which truly made me both laugh and cry; it would make a nice addition to any bookcase, especially for those with a love of regional humor.
After reading the bio of author Raymond L. Atkins, I wonder if The Front Porch Prophet is partially autobiographical. Like A. J. and Maggie, Atkins and his wife live in a “110-year-old house that they have restored themselves” near Rome, Georgia. Atkins writes regularly for the Rome News Tribune and Memphis Downtowner Magazine. More information, including the complete Prologue from The Front Porch Prophet, can be found at his website; I was pleased to learn that a second novel, Sorrow Wood, will be published next summer.
(Funny personal story about naming traditions … I’ve done a lot of genealogy research, and when our kids were born I wanted them each to have a family name for a middle name. This was fine with J until the ink was dry on the birth certificate for our youngest. You see, I gave him the middle name “Justason,” which was my grandmother’s maiden name. J agreed to it, but then he saw it it writing JUST A SON! Well, don’t disagree with a woman who has just given birth – he kept the name!) Are there any naming traditions in your family?
Our son is the 4th Carl in a row in our family. They all have different middle names, though. Our son’s middle name is my father’s and grandfather’s middle name. I love old traditional family names.
I have wanted to read this book for ages-great review. We don’t have any naming traditions in our family but I wish we did. If I had had children I would have used family names-I think it’s wonderful to be named after someone.
For some reason, I had a 4 letter, 2 syllable requirement when naming my kids.
I have a funny though. My nephew was named after a country singer that the mom was ga-ga over but it happened to be the same name as the great-grandfather’s brother who died in the war. Anyway, when the great-grandfather found out the baby was named after his brother, he cried many a tear. No one had the heart to tell him that the name resulted out of the mom having the hots for Travis Tritt.
Both of my grandmothers were named Anna, and Anna was my aunt’s middle name. Everyone wanted us to name our daughter Anna (especially my mom) but my husband had his heart set on Francesca and I liked that name, too. For my kids, I just want names that aren’t too out there but aren’t too common either.
This sounds like a great read, and I really enjoyed your review.
Well not exactly. My mom’s best friend suggested my little brother’s name and her favorite cousin suggested mine (she was going to name me Jessica, but he convinced her that Jennifer was better lol).
I’ve heard good things about this book!
I love the story about your son’s name. You are so right – the person who gives birth should DEFINITELY have final say in the naming process!!!
Great review, Dawn. I agree with pretty much everything you said about this book. I’m looking forward to reading his next book. And yes, the cover blurb doesn’t do the book justice.
Kathy – as someone who has done a lot of genealogical research, I can tell you how common it has been to re-use names (and how confusing with Jrs. Srs. IIIs, etc.)
Dar – it is a nice tribute to a family member, isn’t it.
Ti – It was good that nobody told him the truth
Anna – we feel our kids have “solid” traditional (but not over-used) names. Sometimes a name can seem “old” on a child, but they grow into them!
Ladytink – If I were a boy, I would have been Lawrence! yes, *The Front Porch Prophet* is a great book.
Shana – I think after 4 kids, J would agree to anything
THis book sounds like something I would love to read. I like Southern culture and quirkiness.
Sherry – *The Front Porch* prophet would make a great gift, too. There is some profanity, with one character, but it doesn’t color the entire novel.
HA! That is a hilarious story about “just a son”!
This book sounds very intriguing. I’m curious. THanks for reviewing it!
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