This was a fun, quirky read. It was a kick to read about places that are so familiar! ( )

This leisurely novel takes a look at a childhood friendship that ends up spanning decades and reaching halfway across the continent as a group of youngsters from Butte, Montana grow up in the 1930s and maintain that friendship for the rest of their lives.

Dallas, as usual, finds the magic in the everyday lives of her characters as she follows them through childhood squabbles, growing up too fast, finding love and heartbreak, and always being able to depend on their interwoven relationships for comfort and support. Ultimately, the story is about love and loyalty and betrayal as unexpected fame and the sacrifices of World War II change their lives forever. ( )

WHY do my friends like sappy books? (Or why do I have such a low tolerance for sentiment?) This is Norman Rockwell writ large: a hooker with a heart of gold, a vet with one leg, a sad infant death, a lace of anti-Catholicism to add some edge and lots of getting drunk for fun. The language is cutesy. Sigh. I read it because (a)my friend gave it to me and (b) it was set in Butte but I kept going because (a) the author had an intriguing style of plot uncovering. A surprise sentence always preceded the action. So, for example, "Whippy Bird claimed that she was the one who turned Buster McNight into a fighter."(p.17) One doesn't hear about Buster becoming a fighter for several more chapters. Almost every detail is teased this way. (b) I kept going to figure out what really happened, "the truth." So: if you read the book: what do you think the truth was? I'd be interested in hearing. The core of this story was not sap. It is that question, and that's why I finished the book. ( )

This is Dallas's first novel, and already I see her gift for creating characters that leap off the page and into your heart. Effa Commander, Whippy Bird and May Anna (a/k/a/ Marion Strut) are vividly drawn. And, of course, there is a murder, and conflicting confessions for the reader to sort through. ( )

BUSTER MIDNIGHT’S CAFÉ by Sandra Dallas
I just finished reading this very early book written by a very good author. If Dallas were writing it today, it would be a better book. This one drags in places, gives us information we don’t need and glosses over information we do need. The ending is a bit ambiguous also.
On the other hand this is a good book with interesting, believable characters. The story is true to the time setting, including some of the brands and slang words used. She uses humor to enliven what could be a very dreary story. There are enough twists and turns to keep you reading through the “draggy” parts. As she does in THE PERSIAN PICKLE CLUB, the “plot” doesn’t become obvious until near the end of the book. That device works better five years later in PERSIAN PICKLE. It is interesting to see her try it out here.
3 of 5 stars ( )