Book Review: Lame Excuses by Alle Wells

Hi all,

It is obvious that I am a fan of Alle Wells' writing as shown in my reviews of her other books, RailroadMan and Leaving Serenity. She did not disappoint me with her first novel – which I read last – Lame Excuses. This book is a definite must read for people who enjoy a character-based novel that delves deeply into the life of the main character – her life, her feelings, her emotions. Here is a description of Lame Excuses and my 5 star review.

Lame Excuses

Alle Wells

Book Description:

Forty-year-old Emily Halley sits in a wheelchair in an abandoned lot of a silent, forlorn southern town. She reflects on her life that began in a short-order café that sat on this corner lot in the early 1960’s. She remembers and shares her love for the café that provided everything she needed and demanded nothing from her. As a teenager, Emily’s life at the café ends abruptly with her father’s untimely death.

Emily is forced to find a new life and enrolls in a culinary arts school in a rural farming community. She thrives as a culinary artist and finds a mentor, a lover and a new life in the Sand Fort community. Emily’s life is sprinkled with pleasant surprises, southern humor, disappointments and drama. Her passion for food remains constant and comforts her through the good times and the bad. Emily’s lifestyle begins to take its toll on her at an early age. A medical condition misdiagnosed by a country doctor and ignored by Emily leads her to a tragic and unsatisfied end as she tries to piece her life back together.

My 5 Star Review:

Emily (Ellsley) Halley grew up in a small southern town in her parent's fast-food café. The café was more of a home to her than her actual home, and she loved everything about it from the food to the people they served. She wanted so much to work in the café when she grew up. However, when her father dies suddenly, the life she knew is taken from her and she has to decide what she wants to do. Emily chooses to go away to culinary school to learn the fine art of cooking and soon finds a new life in the small community. The story continues to follow Emily throughout the ups and downs of her life and her struggles with her health.

Alle Wells has brought us another unique work of literature with Lame Excuses. Her style of writing is so different from any other author. You are drawn into the novel from the very beginning, as if you are walking into the café and observing Emily's life first hand. She does not bog the story down with long, descriptive prose or paragraphs that readers tend to skip to get on to the dialogue. Instead, you see, feel and experience life through Emily's eyes, so you feel a part of the story instead of just reading it. I love her style of writing – it's so refreshing. I would recommend this novel – and her other ones as well – to anyone who enjoys reading a unique, historical novel.

I hope you get a chance to read one or more of Alle's novels - they are too good to miss out on.

Cheers,

Deanna