Whiskey Road: A Love Story | 
 enlarge | Author: Karen V. Siplin
Publisher: Washington Square Press
Category: Book
List Price: $13.00
Buy New: $4.74
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Avg. Customer Rating:  6 reviews
Sales Rank: 171536
Media: Paperback
Edition: 1st Washington Square Press Trade Pbk. Ed
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 288
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 8.2 x 5.2 x 0.9
ISBN: 0743297628
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6
EAN: 9780743297622
ASIN: 0743297628
Publication Date: May 20, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
From Karen Siplin, the author of His Insignificant Other and Such a Girl, comes a passionate and edgy love story about a savvy female celebrity photographer and a small-town white contractor that asks, "Where does a black woman born and raised in the big city go when she wants to escape, and what happens when she gets there?"After one too many run-ins with irate A-list celebrities and their bodyguards on the streets of Los Angeles, paparazza Jimi Anne Hamilton has decided to throw in the towel. But when she planned to ride her BMW K 1200 motorcycle from California to New York, she didn't count on having her cross-country adventure interrupted by a motorcycle thief. After the brutal attack, which sees both her motorcycle and camera equipment stolen, she finds herself left with only her helmet, a few clothes, and a bag of money she swiped from her attacker. Disillusioned and hurt, Jimi chooses to recuperate in a nearby town where she meets Caleb Atwood, a local contractor fighting his own demons. Jimi and Caleb make a mismatched pair: black and white, highbrow and low. But in Caleb, Jimi believes she has found someone who feels as much of an outsider as she is. With Whiskey Road, Karen Siplin again succeeds in giving readers a story about opposites who manage to see what no one else can -- that they're right for each other.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 1 more reviews...
 Whiskey'll Do Ya July 8, 2008
A woman shows up in town in black leather, motorcycle helmet and slick hair with a pink wisp in her bangs. Meet NY city slicker Jimi. Jimi gets treated to the normal small town stonewall reserved for outsiders and people who don't quite fit in, if you know what I mean. Among the bunch at the diner is a good ole' boy once removed, with aspirations of bailing his hayseed past, for more to life that he's dreamed of, but never rose to claim. A man who shelved his dreams and bike riding days for the security of starting a construction contracting company with his lifelong friends, another small town natural progression. Like poor relations with your brother, small town inter-relations amongst those who stay, and holding on to the hopes that those who bailed will one day return. The one thing missing in the peaceful setting out in the woods is the love of a woman who'll stay. I was reading about Caleb leaving all the porch lights on. Thought of the song "Every Light in the House is On" by Trace Adkins, and years past a former love telling me he'd left the porch lights on for a long time, too.
But that was me, and this is Caleb out on Whiskey Road. Caleb, who looked up one day, and felt the need to pipe up from up under his ball cap--maybe the NY Yankees, the O's, you know, like the 'progressive' bubbas like to do (not John Deere). In "Whiskey Road" Jimi threw the first pitch. And before he fouled, Caleb stepped up.
Maybe in the background sometime you might hear Rascal Flatts singing, "God Bless the Broken Road."
Authentic dialogue, portraits of small town, what goes on with verbal and body language. Emotional discourse spoken and unspoken.
Initially I thought maybe I'd met someone like Morgan, but as the story unfolded, I thought, no I hadn't. Thank God. And amen that Morgan wasn't somebody's brother in my life. While I skimmed the way-off Publisher's Weekly review, some weeks ago, whoever did the review was completely over in left field. Because of that review, I almost wasn't sure I'd like let alone buy the book. But as anyone knows mainstream and the disregard for things not mainstream, you have to dig for jewels yourself.
There was mention of some predictability. As with any writing, a reader's going to be able to predict somethings. But the predictability isn't really all that's something's about. Like life. For instance, you can go to h.s., take college prep classes, and get to college, and graduate. That part's predictable. The journey is the story, not the end or milestones along the way. It's the who, the what, why, when, how much, to what degree.
I did wonder, where in the world was Caleb's good ole' doggy? I can't think of any guy I've ever met who lives solo out in the suburbs or country not having a dog. Especially one who's used to having someone else around in their space making some kind of noise to break up the silence between thoughts of missing a loved one. Where's the blues without a hound dog? I also wondered why none of the guys played any kind of instrument. A dog and a folk guitar out on the porch in the country seem to go together like peas and carrots. Maybe the dog and folk guitar filling the empty space come later. Maybe Kennedy would be the guitar buddy to come sit out on Caleb's porch, talking, dog at foot, drinking cold ones and strumming the night away.
The book reminded me of a book I read, "The Book of Joe" that included a lot of parallel elements--small town life, small town life as a character unto itself; incredible authentic dialogue; authentic scenarios between men and women, about race, interracial navigation; sibling rivalry and tension between brothers, small town women, sexual politics, the strange fish in a small town who want to escape where they're less strange than another variation of life, history in a small town that suffocates people and won't let them grow, the love, the loss, redemption; relationships between family, sons and fathers, brothers, siblings; expectations of self and others; dreams deferred; and making peace with yourself and others, growing up and moving on.
Although the book ended on a note of potential, because of the class differences, and their influence on Jimi, I couldn't see the two as a couple in NY or as a couple on Whiskey Road. Fish out of water for sure for either of the two. I could see the two being friends of a sort, with either visiting to get away from their main life. Keeping their options open. They have some common interests, are friends, can talk to each other about very personal issues and fears, enjoy each other's company, trust each other, can forgive, and forge ahead, even knowing one another's imperfections, still want to have some contact.
But as with any rebound situation, both are a means to an end, walking through struggle(s) together, on their way elsewhere, maybe with a new ally on their respective roads to whatever their hearts desire.
This is where you'd hear the strains of Rascal Flatts with "My Wish".
The Book of Joe
Another Great Book by Karen Siplin June 17, 2008
One of the aspects of Ms. Siplin's book I've always enjoyed is her realistic portrayal of characters. Regardless of their age or ethnicity, the characters always come to life and elicit feelings from the reader. This holds true in "Whiskey Road". Jimi and Caleb captured me from the very beginning and I didn't want to stop reading until I knew what would become of them.
I've been a fan of Karen Siplin's books since reading "Such a Girl", and she continues to shine as a writer. The writing is spot-on, the dialogue is realistic without being preachy or stilted, and the story develops in a manner that feels natural and satisfying. Siplin looks at both sides of racism and handles the issue with a deft hand.
This is definitely a book I'd recommend to my friends (already have, in fact), and it doesn't disappoint.
 (4.5 Stars) Opposites Attract June 12, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Jimi Anne Hamilton has enjoyed the danger and excitement that her being the member of the paparazzi brings. But after too many risky run-ins with celebrities, Jimi decides that enough is enough. Jimi hops on her motorcycle for a cross-country trip from California to New York. Jimi runs into difficulties when her motorcycle and camera equipment is stolen. Jimi is only left with a bag of money she took from her attacker and a few clothes. She decides to heal her wounds in a small New York town where she meets Caleb Atwood. Caleb is a white contractor who is dealing with his own personal issues when he meets the mysterious Jimi. Jimi thinks that although their races are different, Caleb is just as much as an outsider as she is.
Whiskey Road is an engrossing novel by Karen Siplin. Siplin shows readers how two characters who seem to be total opposites at first have a lot in common with each other. Jimi is an African-American woman celebrity photographer from California, Caleb is a contractor in a small town in New York, and both of them are outsiders in their own little worlds. Siplin does a masterful job of painting a vivid picture of Caleb's hometown that readers will be able to picture every thing that is taking place. This is not a typical romantic love story because you really don't know what exactly the future holds for Caleb and Jimi. Whiskey Road is a fascinating tale of how love can be found in unexpected places.
Reviewed by Radiah Hubbert
of Urban Reviews
There's nothing I would NOT read by Karen Siplin! May 31, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Pros: I love Karen Siplin's novels. She always makes me reevaluate my own perceptions of people, be it from race, culture, or background. She has a reputation for writing about interracial relationships, and I like it because I don't come across too many African American fiction authors who delve into this topic. Nowadays it's also hard to find an African American fiction author who presents a love scene without it turning into pornography without the pictures, and I respect her SO much for doing that. Readers get a flirting session of the sex scenes but not all the graphic details. The dialogue is always realistic, and her descriptions are so dead on that I feel like I might bump into one of her characters while I'm reading. I looked at every single white guy I saw on a motorcyle to see if he could be Caleb if this was a movie. Nobody looked cool enough to be this dude though. That's what I love about her male characters. They are the epitome of cool. Even the metrosexual characters seem like a woman should fall to her feet. Karen knows how to make a reader love the men in her books, and I love to love 'em!
This novel is about a Black woman who gets into a fight on a trip riding her motorcyle from L.A. to the East Coast, but along the way, she meets a black eye, a wounded ankle, and a man who makes her ponder where her real traveling expedition should be. Caleb, the man she meets, has been content in his small town with the country lifestyle he leads up until she comes around. Both start taking a hard look at their lifestyle, hometowns, and future while trying to stay out of trouble from family and friends who make their lives even more colorful. This was a fast-paced read, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Off the top of my head, Siplin is the ONLY author that I enjoy enough to reread her books, which I usually do to see if there was something I missed.
Cons: When I think of Brooklyn, I think more Jay-Z than I do the Huxtables (Cosby Show), but it seemed like Jimi was not really a city girl. Caleb kept saying she was, but she kept doing strange things like believing she can go around the country on a motorcyle without dealing with "backwoods" attitudes or having to worry about her safety. I wouldn't ride a motorcyle all over Chicago, never mind going to another state. But judging from her family owning property in different places and her It-was-mine attitude, I got the impression that she was a well-to-do city instead of an around-the-way girl the way I thought she was at the beginning. Siplin summed it up best when she said, "[Jimi] can acknowledge and regret her mistakes, but her mistakes are a product of bad choices, not from being a victim of circumstance." That is actually a good summary to understand elitism. I highlighted it in the book when I read it.
As for the Publishers Weekly review, I don't understand how the characters were deeply stereotypical. The Black woman was the one with no street smarts, riding a motorcycle, fighting men with her bare fists, and had elitist relatives while the white guy was very down to earth, a whole lotta thug, and his relatives were a colorful bunch with a brother fresh out of jail. In my opinion, Siplin went AWAY from the usual stereotypes.
Publishers Weekly was Incorrect May 29, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
The Publishers Weekly article has wrong information in it which leads me to believe the reviewer may not have actually read the book.
Karen Siplin is a story teller. Her characters are wonderfully flawed and drawn out.
This is not a typical boy meets girl, girl falls for boy story. The issues that each character brings gives the story more complexity and for some people, reading a story without every other page being porn is hard to do.
This type of story is a new venture for Ms. Siplin and it worked well.
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