At the Foot of the Rainbow by Gene Stratton Porter (September 27-30, 2005)
This novel is a study of a deceived man and woman, and a second
man haunted by the lies he told to them both over fifteen years ago. Dannie
Macnoun lives next door to his best
friend Jimmy Malone and Jimmy's wife
Mary. Though
Dannie never says much of his feelings, he has been in love with Mary for
over fifteen years. Since she chose Jimmy over him, Dannie, a good man, continues
to be devoted to them both.
Dannie does more than his share of the work, looking after Mary, and taking
care of any troubles Jimmy gets into. When Jimmy spends his savings on drinks
at the bar, Dannie gets him home safely, and even lends him money. While Dannie
is steadfast and devoted, Jimmy is chatty, loves telling stories, and is childish
and spoiled. Jimmy's cheer fades, as he is haunted more strongly by a sin
from his past, the fact that he did not marry his wife fairly, and he stole
her
from Dannie. All three are unhappy for different reasons, and Jimmy's torment
grows to affect them all and tear them apart.
Stratton shows herself to be sharply aware of dialect and language in her dialogue
between the three main characters. The
story is set in Rainbow Bottom on the Wabash River in Indiana, and as in
Gene Stratton Porter's other novels, the environmental and natural descriptions
are true to life.
