Telling Sonny opens in 1952 when Faby receives a phone call about the death of her estranged ex-husband (Slim White) the father of their child Sonny, who is about to be married in two weeks. How is Faby going to tell Sonny about his father's death?
This coming-of-age novel then moves back to the 1920's, where nineteen-year-old and pregnant Faby finds herself married to Slim White a slick hoofer she barely knows and follows him on his travelling Vaudeville tour.
Much of the remainder of the novel reads like a road (train) trip through the various New England towns and later Southern USA. The author takes us through the shifting landscapes of the countryside seen through Faby's eyes as she stares through the train windows, distracting herself from having to listen to her husband's long-winded tales of his experiences as a vaudeville hoofer.
I had mixed feelings about Slim White. On the one hand, I found him to be full of himself, a smooth talker, a liar and self-centered. On the other hand, he showed care towards Faby. He reminded me of detectives in soft-boiled crime fiction. To be perfectly clear, this is not a crime novel but I would dare to classify it as a historical/domestic novel in that the author captures the daily lives, their homes, meals and habits from the 1920's.
Throughout their time together the newlywed couple learn about their backgrounds while Faby finds disappointment in the man she married, finding herself not ready to embark in this adult stage of her life. I felt for Faby's loneliness for the family she left behind in Vermont, especially her sister, Josephine and her fear about becoming a mother.
The author describes in detail the different Vaudeville shows which Slim White participates in, offering the reader insight into the life of vaudeville – the acts, the jealousies among performers, the frauds, the gossips. The author's ability to describe the acts puts you right in the audience watching in awe at the jugglers, Mr. and Mrs. Johnson and Charlie the chimp, as examples.
If you're up to going on a train trip and stopping in towns of yester year and attending Vaudeville shows, this is a novel that will give you this vicarious experience.
On a personal level, I enjoyed reading about many of the places visited as I had also visited them. It was fun to see them from a past perspective.
Visit Elizabeth Gauffreau's site here.
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