Here We Go Loop de Loop by William Jack Sibley
Every book has characters and a setting, but it’s a rare occurrence when you stumble upon a book in which the setting itself is a character. Here We Go Loop De Loop (Atmosphere) by William Jack Sibley is one of those special finds where a place comes alive on the page and develops on an arc of its own over the course of the narrative.
This book introduces readers to an extensive cast of personalities, but the main character seems to be the small town in Texas that ties them all together — Rita Blanca. It’s a town with deep conservative roots, made up of church-going people and huge family ranches passed down from generation to generation. But right from the start of our story, it’s clear that things in Rita Blanca can’t stay the same forever. For one thing, the health of the town’s greatest estate holder and richest rancher is rapidly declining, and his only living heir isn’t sure she belongs in Rita Blanca at all.
SMALL-TOWN TEXAS, BIG-TIME HILARITY
Here We Go Loop De Loop is an engaging comedy that offers readers an escape into the surprisingly fast-paced world of a little town in Texas. Sibley has given readers a string of laughably ridiculous scenes that you’d have to read to believe, but luckily his prose is so chock-full of sensory description you’ll have no trouble picturing each moment.
It is also a timely book that allows readers a chance to examine serious social issues ranging from immigration, to economic class disparity, to discrimination based on sexual orientation and more — all through the safe and enjoyable lens of humor. Sibley uses third-person narration and presents several scenes per chapter, switching focal characters often to add to the overall interest and pace of the story.
Speaking of characters, here is who readers can expect to meet along the way: First up, Pete Pennebaker, owner of 50,000 acres of rich Rita Blanca land, complete with cattle and oil. But his life hasn’t been all sunshine and roses. He’s a widower, he’s lost his son Tom to AIDS, and his own health is on the decline. Next, we have his daughter, Marty Pennebaker: in her forties, still single, and only recently returned home after spending her entire adult life getting about as far as she can from Rita Blanca, managing an art gallery in New York.
Adding some color to our cast, we have the orphaned and grown Lyndecker siblings: Pettus, Darlene, Darcy, Delilah, Cody and Thaine, plus their off-beat Uncle T.T. At first glance, the whole clan is as stereotypically country redneck as can be, but then we unpeel a few layers and learn that each has their own motivation — some are looking for business success, some are looking for societal advancement, some want the chance to help family, and some just want to find love.
PAGE-TURNING INTRIGUE AND DRAMA
Sparking some intrigue in this character-driven story we have three new transplants to Rita Blanca. Chito, a suave London businessman, seems to have no place in a town like Rita Blanca until Pete, Marty and readers learn an interesting bit of news: Chito and Tom were married. Now Chito’s come back to fulfill Tom’s final wishes with the money he left his husband — improve Rita Blanca, the very place that rejected him.
And Marty is all too happy to have a good-looking guy like Chito stick around, but could she ever earn the affection of her late brother’s husband? Even if she could, how would Pettus, her casual fling who has recently realized deeper feelings for her, feel about it?
As if Rita Blanca were running low on drama, not long after Chito’s arrival, Pete Pennebaker finds a five-year-old girl and her father dehydrated and near death on his ranch land. When he discovers they know little English and have no papers, he has to decide whether to stick to his conservative principles or his human morals.
As you have probably gathered by now, this is a book about a lot of different people and a lot of different things, all of it very entertaining. But in the end, it’s a story about pursuing happiness even when it doesn’t look the way people are used to. Here We Go Loop De Loop is a wild and hilarious ride and you’ll be glad to have joined Sibley on it.
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Absolutely howled with laughter! All families have their stories, and sometimes it’s not wonderful, but these families treasure each other, even if they don’t realize it! I want a cold margarita (hold the salt) and head to Rita Blanca to watch these characters interact . . . preferably they’re drinking too!