Heading Out to Wonderful by Robert
Goolrick
Charlie Beale arrives in the small
town of Brownsburg, Virginia with two suitcases. One is full of possessions; the other is full
of money. Charlie is looking for
wonderful and when he looks around Brownsburg he thinks he has found it. Using his suitcase of funds Charlie begins
buying land around the county and a house in town. Friends he has made help him make that house
a home. Life is perfect until Charlie meets
an exotic married woman he can’t get out of his mind. Will things turn out as wonderfully as
Charlie hopes?
I really enjoyed the first 90% of
this book. The relationship between
Charlie and his young friend Sam is well-crafted and so realistic you can see
these two walking along a riverbank and chatting while you read. However, as much as you as a reader fall in
love with some of the characters and want them to be well, you fear that things
will not continue to be wonderful…and they do not. The journey, getting to know them, is worth
it, but be sure to be prepared for a conclusion that is as far from wonderful
as you can get.
