Spoon

September 1, 2009
In Big Horn County, MT, 1991, when a barefoot half-black, half-Native American hitchhiker wearing an expensive cowboy hat gets a ride from a teenager named TJ Darley, a friendship is born. The mysterious hitchhiker gives his name as Spoon, short for Arcus Witherspoon. TJ takes Spoon home to the family ranch, where he is hired as a much-needed extra ranch hand. Gradually, TJ and his hardworking parents become aware that Spoon has an uncanny talent for forecasting bad weather and trouble in general. They also learn that Spoon is a Vietnam vet with a prison record. However, he is a terrific worker and becomes a mentor to TJ. When a coal company threatens to tear up the neighborhood, the Darleys and Spoon are drawn into battle. VERDICT More about TJ's coming of age than the eponymous Spoon, this new novel by the author of the CJ Floyd mysteries ("Blackbird, Farewell") vividly presents the realities of life on a cattle ranch. Larry Watson's "Montana 1948" comes to mind as a readalike.Keddy Outlaw, formerly with Harris Cty. P.L., Houston

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