Brian Sweany’s new coming of age novel, Buy The Ticket, Take The Ride, tells the story of Hank making it through life. It emphasizes the relationships between grandfather, father and son through protagonist Hank’s eyes and voice. Hank lives a full life — but not exactly the life most parents would want for their children. There’s way too much liquor, drugs, sex and daredevilry described in a forthright manner. At times I wondered if Hank or any of his friends would survive to adulthood. Although I wouldn’t have wanted my children to behave as they did, it made for an exciting story.
Hank’s family is a real Hoosier Catholic family of ardent Notre Dame fans. After several false starts, Hank’s Dad is an independent businessman running the auto dealership in a fictional town just south of Indianapolis. The truth of the family and situations shines through to the extent that I wondered how autobiographical the novel really is. And no matter how dysfunctional the family seems and dissolute Hank’s lifestyle seems, underneath, Hank feels deeply and loves his family even more deeply.
Sweany is a master of the “sum it up with the truth” statement. The first chapter introduces Hank’s family on a typical Saturday. Hank is the quintessential young teen who is embarrassed by his family, sasses and doesn’t want to help with the yard work. After all his teen comments and thoughts, however, Hank thinks, “I enjoy Dad’s company more than I’m willing to admit.”
Sweany weaves his love of Indiana throughout the book. Although the story is universal, Sweany’s description of our Hoosier state sets it firmly here. For example, Sweany describes a hot summer day as follows, “The air is heavy, motionless save for the waves of visibly humid heat coming off the bridge. That’s what air does in July in Indiana — it hands you a wet fur coat and says, ‘Enjoy!’” Only someone who has actually stood on a bridge over a river in Indiana in July could write this sentence.
I seem to read more books written about the coming of age of women and stressing the relationships between women in a family. For that reason, I might not have picked up the book. That would, however, have been a mistake. Buy The Ticket, Take The Ride is an important addition to the books about male familial relationships and everyone’s efforts to make it through life.
Meet the author at Bookmamas on Fri., May 6 from 5-7. Irvington comic Dylan Roahrig will emcee his appearance.
