Postmark Bayou Chene

January 1, 2016

Blinded by an early childhood illness, Loyce Snellgrove is more comfortable navigating the swamps and wooden walkways of her small Atchafalaya Basin hometown of Bayou Chene than she is at deciding between the merits of potential suitors Lafayette Landy and Valzine Broussard. The lives of these three friends center on the settlement's post office/general store, run by Adam Snellgrove, Loyce's father. In April 1907, the discovery of a letter that cannot be delivered to France and the rescue of a half-drowned hound dog tied to an empty boat set off a chain of events that may tear this community apart. Readers will have to decide for themselves whether the dramatic climax of the last few chapters is even necessary in a tale containing such a well-drawn setting and compelling characters. This is a beautiful tribute to a vanished American community, expertly told by Roland (Atchafalaya Houseboat), a former resident of the area. VERDICT Alternately folksy/humorous and gritty/bittersweet with healthy dashes of mystery and romance, this glimpse of early 20th-century rural Louisiana should appeal to fiction lovers drawn to tales of tight-knit communities and their colorful characters.--Jennifer B. Stidham, Houston Community Coll. Northeast

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