Whippoorwill

Sharon Sala

Whippoorwill is a tale filled with emotion – set in a place rich with colour and even more colourful characters. From the bawdy to the banal – from the poor to the poignant. And all because of a less than pious preacher and a prostitute yearning for something more, the tapestry of these peoples’ lives become interwoven, culminating with marrying to burying and all that comes between.

Sleeping with men for money was not something Leticia Murphy had planned on doing when she grew up, but then, neither had she planned on being orphaned at twelve, or winding up in a godforsaken place in the Kansas Territories like Lizard Flats. But here she was, like most of the other lost souls who’d come West, looking for something better, and in her case, wishing for a second chance. She knew the odds were against her, but it didn’t stop her from yearning.

Review by Denise M. Clark (190203) Rating (10/10)

Review by Denise M. Clark
Sharon Sala has once again proven that she is among the top in her field as a best-selling author with her latest work, Whippoorwill. While Sala takes a departure from her usual offerings with this novel, her daring has paid off in this wonderfully witty yet thought-provoking tale of the Old West, the world’s oldest profession and lost souls seeking everything from acceptance to redemption to love.

Letty Murphy is a prostitute by trade and a woman yearning for love by nature, who passes her days working at the White Dove Saloon in God-forsaken Lizard Flats. Another lost soul and town drunk Eulis Potter cleans the saloon by night for a three-beer ration from the owner, totes Letty’s bath water and digs graves by day when needed.

The inhabitants of Lizard Flats come to life when they hear that a real preacher man is on his way to marry their town banker and his sweetheart. Word of the preacher’s impending arrival travels fast on the prairie and before you know it, Lizard Flats becomes a Mecca of sorts to a handful of characters desperately in need of burying, marrying, christening and redemption.

Only problem is, when the preacher finally arrives, he succumbs to Letty’s charms and ends up paying for his sin by dying in her bed. Fearful of being hanged and desperate for help, Letty turns to the unlikely Eulis. Before he can even sober up and see straight, he finds himself posing as the good reverend himself. And so it is that two of the most looked-down-upon citizens of Lizard Flats become its very hope for their dreams and desires. Whether the two of them can pull off the deception before the truth is discovered is the question.

Ms. Sala excels in creating wonderful characters and compelling plot lines. With Whippoorwill, she has outdone herself. Mountain men, gunfighters, dirt-poor farmers and ranchers add colorful sub-plots and detail to this endearing tale, and each of them and their stories could become a novel in itself. And while the style and plotline of this offering from Ms. Sala may prove a departure from her norm, her readers will certainly not be disappointed – Whippoorwill is one of her best!
Denise M. Clark (19th February 2003)