Review: A Salty Piece of Land

Natural storyteller Jimmy Buffet makes a welcome return to the novel with A Salty Piece of Land. Evoking a Caribbean atmosphere that most of us will never experience, this is an ideal read for either the hottest days of summer or the deepest part of February. On those long hot summer days it's a nice backyard companion. With a chorus of insects and birds buzzing and singing in the background, you can easily place yourself alongside Buffet's characters as they visit fabulous landscapes and take in gorgeous natural vistas. Conversely, I'll probably save my second read of this book for the cold dark months when we in the frozen north long for some tropical relief. One character reminds us that "Problems in paradise are just not as disconcerting as problems in a different climate", and though I may not physically be in that paradise the story provides a key for taking a mental vacation there.

Warning: A Salty Piece of Land does meander. The author backtracks, sidetracks, skips around and generally fills the reader in on a need to know basis. However, what might be unforgivable in another type of novel is easily forgiven here, for storytelling is the book's strength. This is, after all, the way in which we tell stories to each other. You can nearly imagine this tale being told by some crusty beachcomber sitting around a fire on a remote beach under a star-filled sky. And Buffet doesn't leave the reader stranded for too long. Just when you seriously begin to wonder about a character, their back story is provided.

The book is filled with quirky characters, historical snippets, ocean going and aerial vessels, lots of fishing, and all manner of humorous and philosophical insights. The main story centers around Tully Mars, a character previously introduced in Tales From Margaritaville as the cowboy on the beach. Tully and his horse are a long way from Wyoming, and running from an incident in the past. We learn that Tully has been drawn to the ocean since childhood, and has finally decided to take the advice of an old shaman friend to seek his destiny, and maturity, in the Caribbean.

As Tully's journey progresses we meet an assortment of individuals overflowing with personality. There are fishing aficionados, a Mayan guide/shaman, a few eccentric music stars (one who bears more than a passing resemblance to Buffet himself), a salty sailor named Captain Kirk, an ex-British commando...all in all a pleasurable cast of colorful characters. Most memorable is Cleopatra Highbourne, a 101 year old schooner captain with a passion for Cuban baseball. It is Cleopatra's last desire to restore the abandoned lighthouse on Cayo Loco. This quest binds the various characters in friendship and helps provide Tully with the direction he is seeking. There is also love lost, love found, and (in possibly the only false note in the book) a bit of Spring Break sexual frenzy. Somehow, that adventure just didn't ‘feel' right to me. But it is soon over, and Tully learns from this escapade as well.

As usual, Buffet has researched his book well and gives us lots of interesting little facts and details along with his laid back view of the world. In an afterward, he notes that "now, more than ever, we don't just enjoy our escapism _ we NEED it". I'd have to agree, and A Salty Piece of Land fits the bill.

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Rae - Callahan's

Book Review: A Salty Piece of Land