Pie Town-Lynn Hinton

Pie Town
Lynn Hinton
Morrow, Jun 7 2011, $13.99
ISBN: 9780062045089

Pie Town, New Mexico is a small melting pot in which resides three races intermingling as if everyone is family; this is especially so in support of wheelchair bound young Alex who suffers from spina bifida while his grandparents raise him.

One thing the locals detest is change as tradition means a lot to the residents. Thus the townsfolk do not greet their new parish priest Father George Morris with friendship; especially since he brought a hitchhiking female Trina with him. However when Alex openly welcomes them, the townsfolk consider him a barometer of people do like wise. The welcome mat is removed when tragedy strikes that even an angel could not prevent; as the townsfolk hold Trina culpable.

This is an engaging look at the three predominant subcultures that make New Mexico the Land of Enchantment. The lead triangle plus Alex’s grandfather the sheriff are solid protagonists but the plot is thin and the direction straighter than the Bonneville Salt Flats. Still fans will enjoy Lynn Hinton’s whimsical slice of life in the Southwest.

Harriet Klausner