Book Review by Lori Brunnen
Tally Ho Palm Beach, Paul Striberry, Orange Publishing, Southern Pines, NC, 2017, 228 pages, paperback ($15.95) and Kindle ($9.95)Real Estate agent Alice Pleasance Liddell literally “runs into” the local Palm Beach Hunt at the beginning of this oddly charming romp of a book. This chance encounter plunges Alice headfirst into the social whirl of the affluent, and not so affluent hunt members.
After meeting the Master’s gentle son Clayton she realizes the Hunt is deeply in debt to…well, everyone. All as a result of…wait for it…a Seminole curse. Amid hounds, hunting, and horses, Alice is determined to save both the hunt country and restore Everglades Hall. Oh, and reverse the Indian curse. All while awash in the whirl of hunt balls, races, and polo matches.
The twist in this story is the small fact that Alice takes occasional detours “through the looking glass.” And back out again. The other side of the looking glass is populated with, among others, the Mad Hatter (Clayton), the Jabberwock (the Master), Victoria Valentine (the Queen), and of course Alice. Somehow the author has managed to mix snow birds, Century Village, and Lion Country Safari with “Alice in Wonderland.” Outlandish as it sounds, it works. You will have to believe me on this one.
Once I embraced the whole “Alice in Wonderland” thing, I found this book to be delightful. It is funny, fast paced, and filled with references close to me both from foxhunting and having family in Miami. Whether it was born of a flashback from the seventies or just plain imagination, give it a chance. Bring your sense of humor, and sense of wonder, and you may find you are pleasantly surprised.
At 228 pages with deliciously large print, Tally Ho Palm Beach is a quick and easy read. Maybe a book to read more than once, which is what I will be doing soon. Author Paul Striberry’s approach is so novel that it will take a second reading to absorb the finer points of the story. The pages are filled with lovely vintage illustrations which deserve a second visit as well.
Posted January 13, 2018