Pontoon: A Lake Wobegon Novel, by Garrison Keillor (Viking 2007) [B&T Books] PS3561.E3755 P66 2007.

For fans of Fox News, there may be only two programs on NPR worth listening to. One of them is A Prairie Home Companion (PHC). Why PHC? Certainly not because Keillor is a closet Republican—the man all but wears a red "L" on his lapel. No, the reason for PHC's staying power is that Keillor is a humorist at heart and a humorist invites an audience in to share in life's absurdities rather than to stun would-be participants into laughter.

The elevation of A Prairie Home Companion is the segment "The News from Lake Wobegon." Those of you who were fortunate enough to see Keillor's show last April will find a fair bit the "The News" (including the end of the sketch worthy of the Forth of July movement of Ive's New England Holidays Symphony). The book is worth picking just to reminisce.

Fortunately, although Keillor still has a penchant of bringing things together by letting them fly apart, Pontoon distinguishes itself from some of Keillor's other Lake Wobegon books by telling a full story rather than stitching monologues together. One gets far more from Pontoon than a series of vignettes, one gets a slice of life and folks you would want to invite to visit, or at least drop in for a while.

Jimm Wetherbee

If Pontoon looks good, here are some other interesting Baker and Taylor Books. . .

• Away by Amy Bloom.
  Call Number:PS3552.L6378 A95 2007
• Home to Holly Springs, by Jan Karon.
  Call Number: PS3561.A678 H66 2007
• Playing of Pizza, by John Grisham
  Call Number: PS3557.R5355 P56 2007

Updated August 14, 2008