Luke Geddes

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Heart of Junk by Luke Geddes is a novel about a group of antique dealers in Wichita, Kansas. Mr. Geddes is writer from Cincinnati, OH.

At The Heart of America Antique Mall the dealers are excited, a famous antiques television show, Pickin’ Fortunes, are planning to film an episode at the mall and they all believe that this is what they need to turn their flailing businesses around. The show’s producers, however, refuse to film due to the tragedy of an abducted little girl in the area. The dealers know that finding the little girl is paramount for their businesses.

I’m an avid watcher of antique shows, whether it’s Antiques Roadshow, Pawn Stars, or American Pickers (which I believe is what the author based his fictional show on). More importantly, I’m a collector and am able to find good deals at resale stores every now and then. Sometimes the item call my name from the back of the shelf.

So I understood perfectly well some of the loveable and colorful dealers in Heart of Junk by Luke Geddes. Items are, sometimes, more than just “things”, but almost enchanted objects with souls. If you don’t “get it”, think when your kids left out Sheriff Woody or Buzz Lightyear in the car, and just for a second you wanted to go out into the snow to get them out because they might be cold.

This book is a satire of the antique market culture and the people that inhibit it. The dealer that thinks she deals in high-end antiques and gets bent out of shape when a stall next to her is occupied by a gay couple selling “junk”. A lonely postcard vendor / collector, the dealer who’s just in it for the money, a woman who specializes in Barbie dolls looking for the holy grail of Barbies – and she can also hear them talking to her, among others.

Along with the vendors, the author introduces two sub-plots, one of a missing little girl, and the other of a fictional antique TV reality show which is about to come visit the struggling mall. The novel takes place over four days and is told from seven different points of view. While seven points of view might be a bit too much, I managed to follow along pretty easily, to my surprise.

This was a fun, original novel. It’s not meant to be taken seriously and the author embraces each character’s person, quirks, and stereotype. I appreciated the author staying away from a mean-spirited attempts at being funny at the expanse of his characters. To me it seemed that he does understand the collecting mindset of both collectors and vendors.… (mehr)

This comic novel is set in Fannie Flagg Fried Green Tomatoes-ville, plus riotous snark. The Heart of America junktique mall in Wichita is going under, but salvation may be around the corner with the anticipated arrival of Mark and Grant from the hit TV show Pickin' Fortunes. For a quiet Midwestern city (as seen by a reluctantly transplanted Bostonian as home not to down home neighborliness, but to the "Wichita Scowl"), there's a lot going on here: a missing eight year old, horrible parents and tiresome marriages, insane record collectors, a headless MC Hammer figurine, and a dealer whose Barbie collection holds sway over her every waking minute. The characters, albeit mostly pitiful, are well-developed and there are some excellent plot twists on the way to a most satisfying ending.

Quote: "He missed Boston, with its openly rude citizens, always crowded sidewalks, and a vibrant arts culture widely available for him to ignore."

"It was easier to stick with the misery you knew than to change course and risk ending up even more miserable."… (mehr)

And now for something completely different..... I loved the cover of Luke Geddes' new book Heart of Junk - all those little pieces of treasure. Or, depending on your viewpoint, junk.

I love flea markets, antique stores, garage sales etc. Geddes has set his book in the fictional Heart of America antique mall in Wichita, Kansas. There's lots of excitement at the mall - Mark and Grant from the tv show Pickin’ Fortunes are rumored to be coming to Heart of America to film an episode. Young Lindy Bobo is also missing - and the vendors decide to help with the search, hopefully finding her and adding that to their television story.

Okay, that's the premise - which absolutely hooked me. But, it was the seven characters and their inner thoughts and personal stories that kept me listening to 'just one more chapter'. I thought all of them were really well written - there's a wild range of misfit heading into unraveling happening here. Geddes caught me off guard more than once with a revelation unexpectedly dropped into the narrative. And then the story would veer in a direction that I didn't see coming.

But, there's also a look at collecting, hoarding, saving, keeping, selling and finding solace with 'stuff'. Or purging. Honestly, you'll never look at a Barbie Doll the same again.

I chose to listen to Heart of Junk. This audiobook features an ensemble of readers. I really like when there is a cast - it makes it easy to know who is 'talking' and makes the book a little more 'real', if you will. The readers were Samantha Desz, Arthur Morey, George Newbern, Rebekkah Ross and Jacques Roy - which includes a number of my favorites. The reader chosen for each character was perfect and matched the mental images I had come up with. Each voice was clear and easy to understand. They all captured their piece of the plot well. (Ronald scared me....) I've said it before and I'll say it again - I find I become more immersed in a story by listening.

Hear of Junk was a wonderfully fun, quirky, satirical, entertaining novel. It kept me engaged from first page 'til last. You're either going to love it or leave it. This listener loved it.… (mehr)