Made In the USA

By:  Billie Letts

15 year old Lutie and 11 year old Fate McPhee are living with their estranged father's girlfriend, Floy, in Spearfish, South Dakota.   At the Wal-Mart check out Floy drops dead.  Lutie and Fate decide to take Floy's car and go in seach of their father at his last known address in Las Vegas.  The trip is fraught with poor decision making, back luck, bad people, and Lutie's bad attitude until their guardian angel takes them under his wing and helps them to better life.

First off I listened to the audiobook.  If you decide to, don't be put off by the reader's voice.  I almost was and I'm glad I stuck it out.  I thought it was too high pitched and childish at first, but I found that it worked.  After all, you're talking about two children.  It was very well done in my opinion. 

On to the story itself, it was much darker than any of the other Billie Letts novels I've read.  There were drugs, rape, porn, not things you'd expect from Billie Letts.  However, none of it was explicit and it worked within the story.  They were appropriate for the character.  I will say though, that I absolutely ADORED this book!!  I found myself fussing at Lutie as I drove along and getting all teary eyed about the next thing she did to derail whatever progress she and Fate might be making.  The writer is very skillful with the way she crafts her scenes, they're so vivid and realistic.  I was so sympathetic towards Lutie and Fate at times I wanted to bring them home...well maybe not Lutie, but Fate for sure! 

If you've never read Billie Letts before this is good one or my favorite of her's is The Honk and Holler Opening Soon or (it's kinda played out because it was an Oprah pick and a they made a movie) Where The Heart Is.