LOW WATER CROSSING
Book Two of the Sulfur Gap Series
by
DANA GLOSSBRENNER
Genre: Literary Fiction / Family Saga
Independently published
Date of Publication: July 19, 2020
Number of Pages: 476
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Low Water Crossing is a tribute to those who endure heartache and nevertheless celebrate, to those who wait—and live full lives while waiting.
A backhoe unearths a human skeleton buried on Wayne Cheadham’s West Texas ranch. The investigation points a grisly finger at Wayne’s first wife. And so begins the wild ride through twenty-five years of love and heartbreak.
Wayne’s a highly eligible bachelor who runs into trouble, first because he’s naïve, and next because, well, life is unpredictable. He’s a loveable guy with a peaceful outlook. Just about anyone wants the best for him, dang it. To cope with sadness, he arranges for an old steel-girded bridge to be placed in the dry pasture in front of his house. Says it helps him adjust his perspective. Others say it’s the world’s largest yard ornament. He takes in stray emus and abandoned horses and becomes a mentor to a loveable little boy without much family. He sits and ponders his plight at a low-water crossing over the creek.
A cast of characters from the fictional small West Texas town of Sulfur Gap—the staff of a high school burger shop hangout on the Interstate, coffee groups at the Navaho Café, hairstylists from the Wild Hare, a local sheriff and his deputies, and the band at the local honky-tonk—knits together the community surrounding Wayne, and all bring their own quirks. People you’d find anywhere, some with thicker Texas twangs than others.
The town, the ranch, and familiar Texas cities such as San Angelo, Abilene, and Austin provide a backdrop for universal themes of love, grief, and loyalty.
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When I decided to read this book, I had no idea it was the second in the series or that I had read the first book. Granted, I had read the book 4 years ago and there have been many books between then and now. But as I was engrossed in the book, some things sounded familiar especially towards the end. That being said, you do not have to read the first book, The Lark, to fully enjoy this story.
This novel revolves around Wayne Cheadham but is told from the perspective of his three wives with brief chapters between the three to share his point of view. The novel starts off with a dead body being found on his ranch and his suspicions on how the body arrived there and when. The story then delves into his first marriage to Lucy when he was in his early 20’s and she was 17. Life was quite an adventure for them but perhaps not adventuresome enough for Lucy considering her behavior but we learn that much of this stems from the emotional abuse she suffered at the hands of her mother. I think anyone that had her mom would not have come out unscathed. As Wayne states, the best thing to come from that marriage was his son Luck.
Time moves on and Wayne is in late 20’s when he meets Cynthia and her two daughters. Cynthia has a secret that she is hiding and it could have an effect on their relationship until she confronts her past and learns the truth about what happened. I think she is good for Wayne, at least an improvement over Lucy. There are struggles with their relationship and raising their children, but somehow they make it work. There are some lessons learned by both parties which make for a stronger relationship. I found it engaging to see how the ex’s were portrayed and the interaction with the family. Cynthia’s ex is one of those guys you wouldn’t want to have around much but I appreciated the strides he made later in the book. Growth is possible!
Wayne is alone again after a tragedy strikes his family and it is about 10 years later when he meets his third wife, Lou. Lou arrives in town looking for a long lost sister after her father passes away. This is the part of the story that ties back to The Lark with her nephew, Charley. Lou has had an interesting life and despite being stuck in Oklahoma for some time, she doesn’t let that stop her from living life. I think this part of the book was my favorite because I felt like Wayne had really grown into the man he was meant to be and was ready for a woman that was even-tempered and seemed to get him.
I enjoyed this book for the family dynamics, the strength and weaknesses of the characters, and the intricacies of a small town that make life interesting. I relished the time span as it brought me back to my younger days and I could relate to what Lucy dealt with during her youth. Life in a small town can be tough. This book made me smile and even cry a little bit, and definitely chuckle at the bridge Wayne had moved to his front yard, but overall left me with a satisfied feeling.
We give this book 4 paws up.
Dana Glossbrenner has lived in West Texas all her life. She is the author of Women Behind Stained Glass: West Texas Pioneers (non-fiction) and The Lark: Book 1 of the Sulfur Gap Series.
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GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!
TWO WINNERS: 1st winner gets signed copies of both books in the Sulfur Gap Series; 2nd winner gets a signed copy of Low Water Crossing.
October 6-16 , 2020
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Visit the Lone Star Literary Life Tour Page
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| 10/6/20 | Review | Reading by Moonlight |
| 10/7/20 | Excerpt | Texas Book Lover |
| 10/7/20 | BONUS Post | Hall Ways Blog |
| 10/8/20 | Playlist | The Adventures of a Travelers Wife |
| 10/9/20 | Review | Bibliotica |
| 10/10/20 | Deleted Scene | All the Ups and Downs |
| 10/11/20 | Author Interview | The Page Unbound |
| 10/12/20 | Review | Chapter Break Book Blog |
| 10/13/20 | Scrapbook Page | Max Knight |
| 10/14/20 | Review | StoreyBook Reviews |
| 10/15/20 | Review | The Clueless Gent |
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Thanks for the review, and good to know the book stands alone (though I want to read The Lark, too!)