The Loop

by Joe Coomer

Book Overview

Lyman, a courtesy patrolman, spends his nights maintaining the loop of highway outside of Fort Worth where his parents were killed when he was a baby. When a ninety-year old parrot arrives at his trailer one morning announcing, I'm an eagle, and That which hath wings shall tell the matter, Lyman is convinced that heeding the bird's wisdom and tracing its origins will lead him to the answers about his own past he so desperately seeks.Accompanied by...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0571129498
• ISBN13: 9780571129492
• Release Date: January 1992
• Publisher: Faber & Faber
• Length: 201 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.8" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Misfits and Mysteries!

Hilarious and profound. This is a fun, enjoyable read with comfortable, likeable characters. We are all a bit flawed and overwhelmed by life. Lyman needs to learn to let go just a little bit and I think Fiona is just the woman to help him cut loose. I found the ending quite fun and hopeful.

One of my favorite novels

Lyman is one of a kind, and you'll love him. This is one of my favorite novels: compassionate, beautifully written, and, yes, kind of loopy.

A quirky and touching find

I loved this book; its quirky plot, oddball characters and Coomer's ability to address difficult subjects with humor and thoughtfulness. Great things do come in small packages.

Thoughtful, quirky, very funny

This book was a joy to read. Lyman and Fiona are great characters. Searching for meaning in his life, while she searches for permanence, the two, along with their pets, make a remarkable and personal journey. What they find out about the bird, and themselves, may not be what they expected, but is always revealing. I couldn't put it down. Simply told, and fun to read.

So glad it's back in print

This is one of my favorite books. A funny, deceptively easy read, but wise and profound on many levels. The whole thing is so well crafted you wonder how anyone can write so well. It may not seem like that could be true of a book which is basically about a guy and girl searching for the origins of a 60 year old parrot that flew into the guy's trailer, but it is so. It was out of print for awhile and I snatched every used copy I could get to give away. Coomer may finally be getting the recognition he deserves as one of the best stylists and storytellers now working.