The Honk and Holler Opening Soon by Billie Letts
Review by Mirah W. (mwelday)
From page two I was hooked on this The Honk and Holler Opening Soon. Molly O is decorating The Honk for Christmas and ‘frizzy- haired Barbies’ are now positioned doing splits, taped down on every napkin holder. I laughed out loud at this decorating description and realized I was in for quite a unique story with this novel by Billie Letts
Set in the 1980s in Sequoyah, Oklahoma, Letts has created a world for her unique, yet totally relatable, characters. Caney, wheelchair-bound diner owner, and Molly O, his mother figure and friend, own and operate The Honk and Holler Opening Soon diner (don’t worry, the name is explained in the book). The diner is a big part of the community and is part of the daily lives of many of the locals.
One day Vena Takes Horse walks into the diner inquiring about a job and she’s carrying a three-legged dog with her. Soon after Bui Khanh, a Vietnamese immigrant, arrives and wants to work at the diner, too. What had become a hum drum existence at The Honk is now a place where new faces are making a big difference in the business and the lives of those in the town.
Billie Letts has a way of creating characters (I love all of the character names she comes up with in her books) that have unique personalities but life experiences that are totally relatable. She writes stories that have pain and hope swirling together an emotional mix that helps the reader understand the character and their challenges. I got swept in the lives of Caney, Molly O, Vena and Bui and even though I was satisfied in the end, I was also left wanting more and that’s what makes The Honk and Holler Opening Soon a 5-star read for me.
I would also recommend Where the Heart Is and Made in the U.S.A. by Billie Letts. You can read my review of Made in the U.S.A. here.
I have to add Billie Letts to my TBR! Thanks for the review 🙂
Are these books in a series, or does each one stand on its own?
Hi, Terry. Each book stands on its own and each one is like a slice of Americana, in my opinion. 🙂 It is so exciting that I’ve introduced you to a new author, Billie Letts is wonderful!