The Mulligans of Mt. Jefferson

Title: THE MULLIGANS OF MT. JEFFERSON
Author: Don Reid
Publisher: David C. Cook
January 2012
ISBN: 978-1-4347-6494-2
Genre: Inspirational/General

Cal, Harlan and Buddy were best friends who grew up together in their small Virginia town just before WWII. They get into and out of all the trouble that boys manage to fid—they even earn a nickname from a local restaurant owner who gives the boys their first jobs and lots of advice. He nicknamed them The Mulligans because they seemed to find their way through girl trouble, school trouble, family trouble, and even war.

Now grown, Buddy is a police officer expecting his seventeen year old daughter to give birth soon to his first grandchild. But the call that comes in that Harlan (who now owns a jewelry store) was shot in a robbery. Cal (a Methodist minister) and Buddy head to the hospital and start trying to figure out how Harlan might have gotten shot.

Now Buddy must be tough as he tries to get the truth about the intruder and the shooting from the surprisingly reticent Harlan and his wife. Cal tries to comfort them all. But will their friendship survive this difficult period?

THE MULLIGANS OF MT. JEFFERSON is the third book by acclaimed song writer/singer Don Reid of the Statler Brothers. However, I maintain the opinion of this book as I had of his first two… The book is slow moving, with long drawn out descriptions of their growing up years. It is kind of a coming of age story, written in a rather unusual sequence, but still readable.

I don’t enjoy Don Reid’s books, but I really can’t put my finger on why. I end up forcing myself to read them. They are set in a Mayberry type town, with true to life characters and situations, so a lot of people would love them. I’ll just say, they aren’t my ‘cup of tea.’ Still others might love them. $14.99. 400 pages.