There’s a scene in Alex Fardon’s novel in which two characters argue about a racial slur. Though the word is never mentioned, the author fills his book with so much other vulgar language that the discussion seems hypocritical.
It’s a shame, because this well-told story of idealism and friendship gets off to a promising start. After a fifty-two-year estrangement, retired government lawyer Oliver Bartholomew gets a phone call from Rose Dellaplane, the woman who refused to marry him for a reason we don’t learn about until much later. When she learns that Oliver’s dog is dying of cancer, she drives from North Carolina to Washington, D.C. to be with him.
What follows is an engaging tour of Adams Morgan, a Washington suburb in which Oliver and his friends work as self-appointed crusaders. Their agenda includes repairing broken windows in an abandoned school, stopping a man from abusing his dog, cleaning the streets, nurturing the homeless, and saving a popular restaurant from a greedy investment firm.
Fardon’s narration is full of interesting characters, most with tragic stories. PJ once had a promising future in professional baseball until an injury ended his career. Sid’s home construction business died at the hands of a disgruntled client. Oliver grieves for his dead daughter while harboring a shameful secret involving the CIA. And Rose is punishing herself for something that happened long before she and Oliver met.
In addition to foul language, this debut novel has a couple of other problems. The author never follows through with Rose’s original reason for phoning Oliver, and they take a long time to address the cause of their youthful breakup. There are times when they read or take naps instead of catching up on the past. What makes you keep reading is the interactions among Rose, Oliver, and his sad but compassionate friends. They care about their community and about each other. They’re determined not to let Adams Morgan succumb to urban decay.
Because I like to support debut authors, I stuck with this book to the end despite the swamp of offensive words. Alex Fardon has a gift. I hope he employs it with more discretion in his next novel.
Chevron Ross's novels include Weapons of Remorse, The Seven-Day Resurrection, and The Samaritan's Patient. Click here for more information.