BOOK REPORTS—

Fidel’s Last Days by Roland Merullo

Finding a good, new-to-me author always is fun. Merullo has been spinning yarns since 1991 and this believable story about Cuba is his eleventh book. I’ve long been fascinated by this pitiful country and our neighbor just miles from Key West. Merullo clearly has a firm grip on the island’s history and lifestyle. This is a fast moving and convincing tale about an attempt to assassinate Castro. I enjoyed the read.


Collected Short Stories, Vol. 3 by Louis L’Amour

This volume contains 29 short tales in 434 pages so there are lots of quick reads in these Frontier Stories. L’Amour is a giant in the genre of Western writers and that ranking is obvious in this collected volume. But, believe it or not, there was way too much “shoot-em-up” in the half dozen or so stories I read. The book went back to the library unfinished.


Breakfast at Sally’s by Richard LeMieux

This is a marvelous read! LeMieux, once a successful businessman finds himself estranged from family and friends—and homeless. He is suddenly transformed from his affluent lifestyle to panhandling in front of gourmet stores where he once shopped. He lives a year and a half in his old van with his tiny but loving canine companion Willow. He is suicidal and treated in mental institutions. He searches for redemption and ultimately finds it among quirky, homeless companions and other caring folks in Bremerton, WA. He is now working on his second book, the story of a woman he met on his inspiring journey. I can hardly wait to read it.