Seventy year old Clay Morgan and two of his sons are taking a three thousand mile, cross country road trip mostly down Route 66, to his third son's wedding.
Making a deal with their father, Dad will tell stories if they seek his favorite snack...microwave pigskins. He weaves a Christian based comic romance where a devoted Klansman and his daughter fall in love with people they shouldn't. There is a California town called Opportunity, where people are crazy about their pigs, a young pastor finds love for the first time, and lives are changed when God places a Ray Charles CD in the cafe juke box.
Ah, Clay Morgan, how I long to hear more! I think I enjoyed this road trip across the country more than the characters did. The story between Clay and his sons is sweet, but the 'chronicle' that Clay weaves is breathtaking. Everything is worded in such a manner that you just get sucked right in, but I found myself being disappointed every time I was pulled away from Opportunity.
I strongly suggest this book. It's a sweet and charming family story, but there's a real gem hidden inside. The town of Opportunity is truly a gem. I'm not sure what Clay has in mind for future, but I strongly suggest he write a book that is only about Opportunity and it's inhabitants. I'm just absolutely in love with it! We have murderers and lunatics and characters that are just so outlandish they have to be based on real people. I want more! Though this is an over all sweet read (Yes! I keep using the word 'sweet'! It just describes it perfectly!), I strongly suggest you pick it up just for the Opportunity factor. It's the best little made up town I've read since Mitford, and that's saying something!
Update: No books on Opportunity in the works, but Mush 2 and 3 are!
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