Postmark Bayou Chene

On a lazy summer afternoon, sometimes it's best to find a large shade tree, lean against the trunk and read a good book. And it's better yet if that tree is on the bank of a slow-moving river.

And to round out that picture, I recommend you read Gwen Roland's Postmark Bayou Chene, a languid novel that slowly meanders through the swamps of the Atchafalaya Basin of southern Louisiana. And stop at rural Bayou Chene in the year of 1907 and get to know Loyce Snellgrove, a young woman who hears and interprets the sounds, odors, and textures of the post office and general store since she lost her sense of sight years ago. She will introduce you to Lafayette "Fate" Landry who doesn't quite get life in the swamps and on the bayous. And then there's their friend, Valzine Broussard, who loves to be on the move, particularly working on the boats that travel the Atchafalaya River Basin.

Loyce's blindness adds a vivid dimension to the story since most of it is told from her point of view.  We "see" the beauty and challenges of swamp life as she sees them, and she does not bemoan her lack of sight but embraces it. "I could busy my mind and figure out what was going on around me just by sounds..... I could tell by the milkman's step on the walk whether his feet were hurting that morning. The clang of the pans told me what we were having for breakfast just as if I'd asked the cook."

People, dead and alive, abandoned boats, drowning dogs, and of course the mail, all find their way to the docks of Bayou Chene. A particular letter which had been sent 40 years ago is returned to the Post Office since the Civil War prevented it from being delivered to an address in France. The sender's explanation of this letter suddenly changes the dynamics of this charming village.

In addition, there are newcomers to the Chene who provide a good dose of mystery and controversy. These two along with Loyce become a trinity of strong female characters who are central to the life of the bayou community.

The reader will unconsciously adjust to and learn to appreciate the rhythms of the river, the village, and the storyteller. Neither reader nor teller wants to rush the story along because the enjoyment resides in the rich detail of the journey.

The voice of the bayou country is central to the reader's enjoyment. For example, at one point, Loyce says, "Fate Landry, you just keep sitting eggs with nary a rooster in sight."

If a reader who has gorged on murder and mayhem is looking for a change of pace, I recommend Postmark Bayou Chene. Enjoy the rhythms and sounds of the bayou.