The Big Both Ways
By John Straley
As I finished this book I thought “This would be a great
movie, and a road movie at that!” The
road runs from Seattle to Juneau by boat on the Inland Passage. Slip Wilson, Ellie Hobbes, Annabelle, and
Buddy are the travelers. It is
1935. Slip sees his friend dead from a
freak logging accident and walks off his job.
He heads north to meet up with an old buddy, but on the way hitches a
ride with Ellie. Ellie is an anarchist,
the labor situation in the Pacific Northwest is violently turbulent, and Slip
finds his path hopelessly twisted up with Ellie’s. Along the way, they pick up Annabelle, Ellie’s
niece and ward, and Buddy, Annabelle’s bird.
Slip and Ellie manage to stay a step or two ahead of union
goons and a Seattle police detective.
Like in all good road movies, the trip is a metaphor for the development
of the characters. Each is tough and
hardened in his or her own way, and has suffered disappointment and loss. The bonds forming between Slip, Ellie, and
Annabelle grow slowly, with challenges and setbacks aplenty. The
backdrop of poverty and labor turmoil gives this book a stark, bleak mood, but
the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest provides a nice counterpoint. This mixture of natural beauty and a grim
society reminds us that our lives are twinings of aspiration and gloom, and,
ultimately, this story is an affirmation that hope can be stronger than despair.
For some reason, I relish this kind of story, peopled by the
rough and downtrodden, hookers and hoboes, the unsung people just getting
by. I’ve led a pretty easy life compared
to anyone in this book, but I can identify with their struggles. Some wise woman once said, “Be kind, for
everyone is fighting a great battle.” These
battles of the unknown people who form the foundation of human society, mostly
invisible in our history books, are the stuff of our lives, and to me are every
bit as compelling as the stories of the great deeds of heroes and kings.
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