This book captures a small town's prejudice and tolerance, violence and big-heartedness. It convinces us that dark clouds can really have silver linings.
Caney Paxton wanted his cafe to have the biggest and brightest sign in Eastern Oklahoma - the "opening soon" part was supposed to be just a removable, painted notice. But a fateful misunderstanding gave Vietnam vet Caney the flashiest joke in the entire state.
Twelve years later, the once-busy highway is dead, the joke is old, and the sign is as worn as Caney, who hasn't ventured outside the diner since it opened. The regulars at the Honk, still gabbing and crabbing over hot java eggs easy, haven't changed much either. Then one blustery, December day, a thirtyish crow woman blows in with a half-dead, three-legged dog in her arms and a long-buried secret on her mind. Hiring on as a carhop, Vena Takes Horse is soon shaking up business, the locals, and Caney's heart . . . as she teaches them all about generosity of spirit, love, and the possibility of promise - just like the sign says.
