Border Music

Robert James Waller

12/29/1998

Once again Robert James Waller spins a tale about a man who lives on the road and the woman who touched him. This is a book to absorb, think about, and read again later after it has been taken in.

Jack Carmine from Alpine, as he refers to himself, owns a small ranch in Alpine, Texas. The ranch is not self supporting, so he takes summer traveling jobs working on combine crews or laying pipe or other jobs along those lines. He returns to West Texas every winter.

In 1986 he had been working in northern Minnesota and was heading back to Texas when he rescued Linda Lobo in a bar. He took Linda with him as he started back south. As they talked they began to feel some connection, and she agreed to accompany him to Texas.

Vaughn Rhomer, Jack's uncle from Iowa, is in New Orleans in 1993. He is out of Iowa for the first time in his life. He is on vacation and kicking out of the straight jacket he has lived in most of his life. He keeps thinking about Jack's life, his own life, and the surroundings.

This books goes between the two stories, connecting them in subtle ways. It pulls you in, making you think about Jack, seeing what his life is about, and the contrasting life Vaughn has lived. Jack has lived a life on the road. Vaughn has lived a settled life. Linda has lived both lifestyles. It is an intriguing read.

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