Snooker Glen Book Review
By New York Times Best Selling Author
Ellen Tanner Marsh

As American politicians and administration officials focus the bulk of their attention upon foreign policy, a substantial portion of the citizenry is beginning to feel that far more thought and effort should be given to the growing number of illegal immigrants in our midst. Immigration reform may be a hot potato topic that incumbent politicians would rather avoid, yet it is clear that Americans on all sides of the debate are increasingly convinced that this is one issue that needs to be faced squarely, and the sooner the better.

That is not to say that most Americans have clear-cut beliefs on the topic, nor well-reasoned arguments to back up those beliefs. In fact, as thinking citizens weigh the arguments as well as current and proposed immigration laws, they often encounter clashing ideas about who should be allowed into the "Great Melting Pot" and what effect any legislation would have upon the employment opportunities of current residents—not to mention coming to terms with the fact that these same opportunities were made available to their ancestors when they themselves ventured from foreign shores to find new lives here.

These broad themes and many others are explored in D. F. Whipple's new novel, Snooker Glen, told through the eyes of Herman, an intelligent observer who combines incisive wisdom with the down-home and disarming vernacular of an authentic Kentuckian. The story unfolds in the early 1970s in Snooker Glen, a starkly rural town in northeast Kentucky, and centers around colorful resident Esther Owens and her former flame, Randy Snooker. Esther may be quite modest in means, but she is richly and skillfully painted by the author, much to the delight of any reader who enjoys a well-executed character study.

Esther wants the same as countless others before and after her: prosperity and safety for herself, her family, her community, and of course for her country. But these goals often conflict with the other ideals that are equally desired by the newly arrived immigrants in her community, most of whom are as hard-working and honest as the "natives" and their ancestors.

Reminiscent of the artistic style, social commentary, and emotional depth of Dostoyevsky, D. F. Whipple deftly pulls us into Esther's world, both external and internal, with all the smoothness and character of a vintage Kentucky bourbon. Snooker Glen may mix in such heavy topics as immigration reform, Judeo-Christian ethics, and the impact of modern-day tribalism, yet it never fails to captivate and entertain.