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Andy Boone's character dramatically enters the audience's orbit with his car having just run through a barbed-wire fence and being flipped over onto Dub Grimes' ranch. In typical Bargainer fashion, the narrative takes a simple feeling—the longing of childhood love—and explores it to such depths that readers will inevitably search their memories for the same feeling. When Andy finds himself in the vicinity of his former elementary school, he becomes mesmerized as though a magnetic forcefield is calling him to a playground where he feels he's left something unfinished. While Andy's character largely dominates the narrative, his commitment to finding his childhood crush, Lorrie Dean, sets up readers for a raw and authentic experience.
Through Andy, the author touches on a range of themes ranging from the effects of fleeting time on memory to the power of manifestation. Andy's commitment to seeking Lorrie Dean as though she is the holy grail (and for Andy she is) is so profound that everyone he encounters in his quest becomes compelled to help guide him to his love. Whether it's the reverend at Saint Marks, her former church, her former neighborhood, or any other connection, Andy leaves no stone unturned. While Andy is hellbent on finding Lorrie Dean, he is also featured prominently with his relationships at work, which ironically, and somewhat comically, pit him against his coworkers, punctuated by an intriguing scene with the FBI paying Andy a visit for an entirely different reason.
Juxtaposing Andy's passionate demeanor during his search with his more playful banter in tense situations with his colleagues Kirk and Wade not only adds a layer of humor but also allows readers to understand Andy as a more complete individual. More than anything else, Bargainer's novel is a focused character study on the different shades of this man as it zooms in on the lasting effects of childhood throughout one's lifetime. By integrating engaging dialogue throughout the exposition, the author keeps the flow moving swiftly. Further, a fluid storyline that shifts from the ranch and work to his excursions at Cylie Moe's tavern and a strong connection with the new bartender, Kimberly, keep the plot from being stagnant and one dimensional. In fact, Andy's almost instant connection with Kimberly initiates an entirely new realm of thinking in which Andy faces a genuine dilemma. He is floored as though he is in the presence of a goddess when he sees Kimberly. How he reconciles his love for Lorrie Dean in light of the unfolding events is interesting and a revelation of the human spirit.
For much of the novel, the audience is left stunned by a pivotal question: How deep-seated must Andy Boone's love for Lorrie Dean be that more than two decades after the playground experience, he still harbors a passion and genuine exuberance for her that seems eternal? In many ways, Bargainer is demonstrating that for those who love, earthly time is immaterial. Love is the only route to living forever in the memories of those we love. Though Andy Boone is the main character, audiences will quickly recognize that his love for Lorrie Dean is truly the protagonist that carries this novel. Ultimately, it is this combination of dogged determination to find what's lost and Bargainer's ability to trigger an awakening of sorts within the readers' own latent memories that makes his work a worthwhile read.