Lullaby Road by James Anderson

Description Lullaby Road by James Anderson

Winter has come to Route 117, a remote road through the high desert of Utah trafficked only by those looking to escape the world and those the world has rejected. Local truck driver Jones, still in mourning over the devastating murder of his lover Claire, is trying to get through another season of his job navigating treacherous roads and sudden snowfall without accident when a mute Hispanic child is placed in Jones’s path at a seedy truck stop along his route bearing a note that simply reads “Please, Ben. Bad trouble. My son. Take him today. His name is Juan. Trust you only. Tell no one. Pedro.” From that moment forward, nothing will ever be the same. Not for Ben. Not for the child. And not for anyone along the seemingly empty stretch of road known as Route 117.

Despite deep misgivings, and without any hint of who the child is or the grave danger he’s facing, Jones takes the child with him and sets out into a landscape that is as dangerous as it is beautiful and silent. With the help of his eccentric neighbors—Phyllis, who turned up one day in her Rolls-Royce with two children in tow and the FBI on her tail; Andy, a Utah State Trooper who is on or off duty depending on if his hat is on or off his head; and Roy, an ex–coal miner who has lived in Rockmuse, off Highway 117, his whole life and survives on odd jobs and the kindness of his neighbors—Jones uncovers buried secrets of the desert that are far more painful than he could have imagined.

In LULLABY ROAD, readers will find themselves enthralled by Anderson’s vivid sense of place and his beautiful and heartbreaking narrative.

My Thoughts Lullaby Road by James Anderson

Ben is a trucker who does deliveries in a rural desert area in Utah on highway 117. The people who live along the route are “eccentrics, fugitives, and those looking to escape the world.”  One early morning he stops at the truck stop he stops at every morning to fuel up but there is a surprise waiting for him. 

A boy is left there with a note from an acquaintance, Pedro, asking him to look after his son and tell no one. Ben contemplates notifying the police but rules it out because he doesn’t know what kind of trouble Pedro has gotten himself into.  The boy has a dog that will not leave his side so Ben gets them both in the truck.  Then a woman shows up with her baby and asks him to take her for the day.  They are good friends and he owes the woman his life so reluctantly he complies.

Thus starts off an adventure that will change Ben forever.  The child eventually needs to pee and that is when he discovers that the boy is actually a girl.  Why did Pedro say “his son”?

‘Lullaby Road’ is a sequel to the book ‘The Never-open Desert Diner’ but can easily be read without reading the first book.  However, you are going to want to read the first book.  I haven’t but just got it and can’t wait to start reading it!  ‘Lullaby Road’ is hard to put down!  I was enveloped by the harsh, yet beautiful landscape, the quirky characters, and the plot.  Though it is suspenseful it is written in literary prose so literary fiction lovers will get a lot out of it.  I certainly did!

I highly recommend this atmospheric novel and think it would be a great book club book.  I also think it would make a great gift for book lovers!  I give it 5 out of 5 stars.

Praise Lullaby Road by James Anderson

“Atmospheric…Arresting desert vistas and distinctive characters leave a lasting impression.”
– Publishers Weekly

“Anderson’s lyrical prose brings a forgotten corner of the world to life, and the authentic narrative does the same for Jones. Recommended for fans of William Kent Krueger’s Cork O’Connor and Craig Johnson’s Walt Longmire.”- BookList

“…a delicious cast of colorful characters…Lullaby Road is a triumphant mix of landscape, character, wit and sagacity wrapped in a noir thriller.”- Shelf Awareness

“The action is nonstop, and the plot twists are heart-pounding. Anderson’s vivid prose gives a sense of vastness that is the desert he so brilliantly describes – it is an amazing use of language to create a mood and feeling…Fans of Anderson’s first installment of this series will devour this book and long for another visit with the residents along Route 117.”- Library Journal Starred Review

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About James Anderson

JAMES ANDERSON was born in Seattle, Washington, and grew up in the Pacific Northwest. He is a graduate of Reed College and received his MFA in creative writing from Pine Manor College.

His first novel was The Never-Open Desert Diner. His short fiction, poetry, essays, and reviews have appeared in many magazines, including The Bloomsbury Review, New Letters, Solstice, Northwest Review, Southern Humanities Review, and others. He currently divides his time between Colorado and Oregon.

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