Johnnie Come Lately
By Kathleen M. Rodgers
Camel Press

Reviewed by Keith Jones

“Johnnie Come Lately,” is an extraordinary tale about ordinary people. Then again, this story forces you to consider, is anyone really ordinary? Every person conceals a story that in the right hands comes to life with magical quality. And this one is in the hands of a master of the craft. Kathleen Rodgers takes a set of everyday people and relates their lives in fascinating detail.

Johnnie Kitchen is a Texas housewife living a mundane life with her husband and three children… or that is how it would appear if you were the random resident of her town, Portion, Texas standing on the curb outside her home. Johnnie, however; has a secret. Actually, she has several secrets and they all come calling at the same time. Sometimes the story is what you are doing now with who you are and sometimes the story is how you became who you are. This one is both. Johnnie has battled a lifetime against an eating disorder and a giant hole in her life left by a mother who abandoned her repeatedly as well as her illegitimate birth. Add to this a giant secret she has hidden from her family and the stage is set for an unforgettable book.

Like the proverbial string, once pulled it begins to unravel one thread at a time. Rodgers unrolls this story in style, perfectly segueing one thread to the next in a fashion that keeps you turning the pages until a very satisfying end that ties it all back together and answers the questions that teased you throughout the book. Want great storytelling? Read this book.