Click here for our
|
Corina's Way NewSouth Books The spirit world of New Orleans incubates a volatile and offbeat mixture of religion, politics, race, and fate in this latter-day parable of the interaction of a man adrift in life and a woman rooted in her faith.
Reviews “A spicy bouillabaisse, New Orleans-set. In the tradition of Flannery O’Connor or John Kennedy Toole: a welcome romp, told with traditional Southern charm.” “Rod Davis’s Corina’s Way is . . . a racy tour down the side streets of New Orleans—as Kurt Vonnegut might conduct it—rich with the clash of cultures, alive with Afro-Cuban santos, dark with duplicity and danger, and healed by a gospel chorale. Corina’s Way is a fast-paced tale that leaves you thinking.” “First-time novelist Davis captures the essence of New Orleans with a blend of voodoo, gangsters and, of course, plenty of jazz and gospel music. . . . Davis nails the complicated racial and religious stew that makes up bayou culture, and his witty, fast style perfectly complements the clever premise.” “Davis combines religion, voodoo, New Age philosophy, and good old-fashioned capitalism, greed, envy and a host of other unsavory motives in his entertaining first novel.” “It's evident that Mr. Davis has spent a lot of time in New Orleans, as he picks you up and drops you, slap-dab, in the middle of the Big Uneasy with its torpid coulees and backstreets, offbeat (some would say weird) characters, its rich standing in music history, and its twisted sense of being on the outside of a biosphere that houses 21st Century America. His characters are as real as your neighbors, only they're unforgettable, and you wouldn't want them living next door. There's Corina Youngblood, a sexy, Pentecostal spiritualist cum voudou priestess who is part Mother Theresa, Part Marie Leveau; Gus Houston, who conned his way into the job of acting chaplain at a Catholic (what else?) girl's prep school and gets so wrapped up in the con that he becomes his own victim; Elroy Delgado, Cuban expat with dreams of becoming the Sam Walton of botanicas; and for good measure, there's a sleazy politician, an inept assassin, a fiery and beautiful Latina, and a gospel sing-off. If you've never heard of a botanica or a gospel sing-off, you've got two choices: hop the next plane to N'Orlenz or read this book. I recommend the latter: it's less dangerous and a lot less hassle, and a lot more bang for your buck.”
|
