Cemetery Street
"In a world of presumptuous people, irony is alive and well," concludes James Morrison, the narrator of this touching coming of age novel. A view Shannie Ortolan - James's longtime friend, sometimes lover, and full-time obsession - wouldn't argue. From their first encounter as teenagers until Shannie's death, experience the twists, turns and enthralling characters that populate Cemetery Street.On the cusp of the new millennium, James fulfills a promise. Reenacting a childhood ritual, he places a mud pie upon a grave. This simple act triggers powerful memories.Meet the people that shaped James's life. Shannie, who among other things, introduces him to the sport of dodging freight trains. Count, the cemetery caretakers son, helps James navigate the minefields of adolescence until destiny is met in Desert Storm. Russell, an aging blind African-American, guards a horrifying secret behind a cloud of cigar smoke. Diane, Shannie's mother, a college professor dispels the notion of tweed jackets and elbow patches. Steve Lucas, a mortician's son, who despite bizarre obsessions, stands by James during his most challenging times.Laugh, cry, and blush as James recounts events of late twentieth century American life.