The Bird in the Bush by Eugene Manlove Rhodes

I guess Adam had the best time anybody ever did, namin’ things. Ever notice what good names you find in a thin-settled country? That’s cause they don’t have no prominent citizens to call things after.

My first encounter with this well-regarded author. I found the language a bit baroque and long-winded in this tale leading me to never quite settle down into the narrative and experience the people and place. The language itself acted as a buffer between me and the world the author was creating.

Perhaps that is not always the case.