The author’s careful plotting, over the course of one remarkably intense day, defies expectations as it moves toward its haunting conclusion.Ī candid tale that triumphantly understands the Midwestern psyche, delivering moments of beauty and tragedy. Calem’s world is intricately described as a land of four-wheelers, black walnuts, hog suckers, and Holsteins, and it’s a place that offers seemingly endless freedom but brutal government and marketplace restrictions. Senter’s impressive novel is a truthful, honestly told story that puts a human face on a region that’s steeped in tradition, brimming with the allure of nature, and grappling with the constant threat of being swallowed up by the latest corporate entity.
Even so, bad news comes in about the dairy farm, pushing Calem and his family toward new, possibly insurmountable anxieties. Some fun is on the horizon, since he is going fishing with his friend Miles that evening. He plows through the day, racked by memories of old times and fascinated by new views of familiar landscapes. He has convinced himself this will be the last day he will ever live. Calem hunts, fishes, and sees friends, but he is single and deals with despair. (“There are two cricks that run through our land, three ponds, and a waterfall that will leave a hell of an impression if you’re ever lucky enough to see it.”) His parents are reliable and supportive, if somewhat stoic, though his sister, Caitlyn, whom he genuinely likes, is now an urban progressive liberal who is outraged by her family’s conservative opinions. He didn’t feel like going to college or getting what some call a real job, as he is too tied to the life and landscape of his upbringing. They are a mile away at their dairy farm in the Ozarks where Calem still works. the bitter reality of our contemporary world comes forth through the dark atmosphere Senter creates.A young Missouri man on a failing dairy farm contemplates what he feels will be the last day of his life in this novel.Īt the age of 32, Calem Honeycutt is already a homeowner, but he didn’t move far from his parents. " STILL THE NIGHT CALL is a well-written novel. for anyone wanting to get an idea of how farmers must feel in this day and age and not just in north america, this novel will give you an insight into their world." "loved it! with strong evocation of character. STILL THE NIGHT CALL traces a memorable and emotionally rending journey to self-realization, with a tale which rattles the heart and mind." "joshua senter is simply an excellent storyteller.
#Still the night call free
The second lies in recommending it for discussions about free will, choice, civil war, and social change." in many ways, STILL THE NIGHT CALL is a call to action. "senter's story resonates on levels that wouldn't have been possible even several years ago. a candid tale that triumphantly understands the midwestern psyche, delivering moments of beauty and tragedy." "senter's impressive novel is a truthful, honestly told story. The result is a struggling working class whose worth has been reduced to mirthless caricatures and economic dust, and who are desperately looking for hope anywhere they might find it. Through the eyes of Calem, STILL THE NIGHT CALL delves into the quickly diminishing world of Midwestern farmers whose livelihoods have become fodder for politicians and trade wars while their traditional values have become the subject of scorn and culture wars. All he has to do is get through one last day on the farm, then he can free himself of being a straight, white, middle-aged man with nothing in his possession but a gun and a prayer. In fact, Calem's internal voice eloquently leads us through his wondrous yet tortured past, his fears for the future of his beleaguered rural world, and his carefully laid plans to remedy the vicious Night Call that haunts his present. But just because he's quiet doesn't mean he's simple. STILL THE NIGHT CALL is about Calem Dewayne Honeycutt, a thirty-two-year-old Missouri dairy farmer of few words.