Rough Way to the Highway is a well-written
adventurous, suspense, and part spiritual novel. This is my first novel where I
got the opportunity to be with a truck driver throughout the novel. Yes, this
is a story of Mack – a trucker, who has recently got a new Peterbilt truck, and
on his way to Chicago to deliver a meat supply. The route to his destination is
long and that is something not new to him. He was into truck trade earlier also,
which he learnt from his uncle.
Well, this time the story is different, he is out
on the road after a long time to cut off from the griefs he encountered while
working as a pastor. When I read the blurb – it was much focused on a
mysterious hitchhiker Mack picks up around the Jordon Prison Unit. I was
expecting it as something a kind of dust-off between the two. Probably, the
hitchhiker may abduct his truck or try killing him for some treasure. Alas, I
was wrong. The novel is way beyond the reader’s anticipation. In fact, at one
time, the novel becomes so compulsive and riveting that it itself interprets
the next move. That’s the whole point, and the novel eventually becomes
unputdownable.
Since it’s totally a Christian novel, in the
backdrop runs the pious nature of Mack and the teachings of the Bible he learnt in
his life. I loved the way Mack keeps intact his faith in God. One good instance
is when bullets are fired at him by a passing car, everything blacks out. To
rescue comes the faith and spirituality. As he broods about his past life, we
see more instances of godly help done to him. As a reader, I always thought
that truck drivers are scruffy and rude, however, this story changed my
perception.
People living outside the USA will find it
informative – they will get to know about life in the trucks, what kind of truck
hauls prevail there, and all possible dangers that lurk on the road. As I got
more into the novel, this simple-looking novel, inch by inch, begins adding
elements of political conspiracy and terror plots. And also about smuggling - what
was that smuggling? Will his truck be used for something new kind of smuggling
or to plot something against the white hats? Is America sandwiched between the
black hats and white hats? Too many connections and conspiracies all first get
into one – made sense to Mack who otherwise was so simple and straightforward.
Other than the current obstacles that keep
gathering around Mack, and funnily that mysterious hitchhiker remained
unscathed. A lot of doubt is built around that Ricky or Rocky
hitchhiker…believe me. After the gunfire attack on Mack, the narrative of the
novel changes drastically. And the terror plot that one of the known figures of
Mack was planning since a long was about to materialize right under his nose,
and his truck being used for that. But how…that’s the best part of the story. A
very delicate, yet intricately carved out novel.
I never felt
that it’s the debut novel of Kelly Mack McCoy. Such was the engagement I had
with the novel. Also, the writing style, up and down narration through
dialogues was at par. And by keeping very fewer characters involved, he has
delivered a story that is not only clean but equally riveting at every page.
With this novel, McCoy joins the elite club of writers who has a lot to tell
from their personal life’s experiences and wisdom.
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