The Honk and Holler Opening Soon

Billie Letts is the author of The Honk and Holler Opening Soon and Where the Heart, an Oprah Book Club selection. Both are available from Brilliance Audio. She lives in Oklahoma where, until recently, she was a professor at Southeast Oklahoma University.

The "Honk" is a roadhouse cafe akin to dozens of others scattered across the country--a little run-down, mostly regulars, the center of a small universe. Billie Letts opens the door on this bit of America, and Dick Hill takes listeners there with her heartfelt story. A young drifter happens upon the Honk and, in no time, brings more business and vitality to the place than it's seen in the last dozen years. Hill details each character with distinct, yet subtle, vocal color. He's amazingly good with the women--even though many of his other fine narrations feature tough cops. He beautifully expresses the author's warmth and feeling for the characters without overdoing it. Through his narration, he ably captures sweet sadness, a brief glimmer of hope, the slow kindling of trust. This fine example shows the life that skilled narrative can bring to a simple, well-crafted story. R.F.W. An AUDIOFILE Earphones Award winner (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine