Lefty

By Ralph Hardy and Ralph Hardy

Earl "Lefty" Calvin is a middle-aged, one-armed roofer with a rag-tag crew, the hots for a young waitress who may or may not feel the same way about him, a truck on the verge of breaking down for good, and no bids in the hopper. When a raccoon carries Lefty's prosthetic arm up a tree, he figures he's reached rock bottom. Then a tornado strikes the town and the only roofers willing to repair an AIDS hospice are Lefty and his crew. On the job they face enmity from their peers and confront their own prejudices as well.

LEFTY is a comic portrait of the changing South, where strip malls, planned developments, and Yankee relocation threaten the sense of community. The very notion of being connected to something larger--nature, God, even Wal-Mart--is at risk. "Lefty" Calvin and his quirky crew careen through this hilarious and touching tale of odd loves and peculiar loyalties.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0595296262
• ISBN13: 9780595296262
• Release Date: January 2004
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.59 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

A fine, funny novel

This is a very good novel. It is funny, well-constructed, original and poignant. Hardy has imagined a set of memorable characters, but more than that, he has created a unique idiom for them to develop in, and he manages to embue his protaganist with a rich moral quality without making him at all moralistic. I strongly recommend this book.

Lefty Nails It

Lefty and his misfit roofing crew not only repair roofs against all odds, they also kept me laughing and crying. They prevail despite poor equipment, rabid raccoons, and unrequited love. Although I couldn't stop reading it, I hated it to end. I am waiting for the sequel!