A man and wife, Allen and Melinda, are traveling across country, from California to Cape Cod. He was a former teacher and is an avid, skilled golfer. She is the more talented and intelligent of the two, a former writer and painter. She is currently is the late stages of cancer and wants to go back to the Cape, where she grew up, to die. In visiting a friend, Richard, before leaving to obtain a cancer drug for Melinda, Allen agrees to transport some cocaine to Tombstone, AZ and Kansas City. In Arizona they meet an American Indian, Bob White, who also wants to travel to the Cape, which is the original home of his tribe. The trip comes to a culmination at Seaview, a golf course on the Cape.

This novel has its strengths. Much of the writing is fantastic. There are several scenes where Olson’s writing is unlike anything I remember reading. There is a description of The Chair, who is the chairman of the Seaview golf course, getting dressed for a golf tournament. The detail is phenomenal and yet completely absorbing. There is an episode where one of the golfers is rooting around in a large pocket on his golf bag, pulling out a menage of items as he looks for something specific. Again, the detail is mesmerizing. The characters are likewise complex and rich in detail, making them interesting even if you don’t like one of them. Allen and Melinda have a strong physical and emotional relationship, and yet Melinda finds them unable to verbally communicate what they are feeling in a satisfactory manner.

What I struggled with was the amount of coincidence in the plot. So much of what happened was just too easy and didn’t seem reasonable. There was also a big scene towards the end that just seemed unrealistic and to not fit well with the rest of the story. Finally, golf, both the physical and mental aspects of the game, plays a big part in the story. I don’t golf but I enjoy reading occasionally about competitive sports, and I can say that I very much enjoyed these parts of the story. I could see, however, someone that does not like golf just scanning over these parts of the novel, and in that case I would recommend they just not read the book.

This was my first by Toby Olson and was a Pen Faulkner winner. Toby Olson has written and published a lot of poetry and I think that shows in his writing. For me, what started out as an outstanding reading experience ended up being a mixed bag, but I liked enough of what I read that I will probably try something else. ( )