Mayda's Reviews > The Wind Blows in Sleeping Grass

Pete has two close friends - Windy Ray and Pearl, his potbellied pig. He is 50 years old. As a child, he was bounced around foster homes and group homes after he and his younger sister were abandoned by their mother. As an adult, he got in fights when his temper got the best of him. He has settled down, back in his small home town of Sleeping Grass and makes a living collecting garbage, not a bad job for high school dropout. He rescues Pearl one day, and she becomes a substitute for the family he lost years ago, until the day his sister shows up at his door with her son. They need a place to stay, and Pete takes them in. He has also befriended Wilma, an elderly woman on his route. He is unaware that Wilma is a figure from his long ago past, and carries a secret that has become a burden to bear. They both befriend Lily, another resident in the town and sorely in need of help. All these flawed people are bound together in an unlikely manner. Eventually, secrets are disclosed, forgiveness is sought and given, and help arrives. This book addresses some of the ills of society. Domestic abuse, animal cruelty, foster care, abandonment, scams that target the elderly, alcohol abuse, and school bullying are all touched on this novel. The characters are well drawn, even Pearl has a personality, and the storyline is very interesting. The writing is quite good as well. The ending is somewhat open ended, and readers will have to draw their own conclusions. An epilogue a few years into the future would have been nice, but the roads the characters take go ever onward.