Roland Allen: Books

The Memory of Running begins with an adult Smithy Ide and his parents on their yearly vacation to Maine. The novel is set in East Providence, Rhode Island and tells two progressive stories: one of Smithy Ide and his cross-country trip on bicycle, an adventure that sort of “just happened.” The second is the story of growing up with a sister who had undiagnosed schizophrenia.

I was drawn into the novel because it started in Maine, a place that I love. And I was fascinated that an author would pick East Providence as a setting for a novel. 

There are other key characters along the way, including Norma, a very independent girl-next-door who was in love with Smithy, but whom Smithy viewed as a nuisance growing up. And the people that Smithy meets on his trek from Rhode Island to Venice Beach, California.

I liked The Memory of Running. It became particularly engaging at the mid point. I have to admit that I was more interested in the bicycle trip the first half of the novel and preferred that storyline to the high school tribulations of Smithy and his sister Bethany. The novel alternates between stories chapter by chapter. But both stories come together nicely at the middle and at that point it’s a “can’t put down” novel.

That was the case with me. I started the novel some time ago, put it down, and picked it up again for my flight from Los Angeles to Boston Wednesday afternoon. I finished the second half in a day, sneaking chapters in between presentations at the conference I’m attending right now. It’s a good novel for traveling because the chapters are short and the story is easy to pick up again.

Underlying the attraction of this novel are very human characters. Their triumphs, hurts, flaws and needs are very real and believable.

I’ve been to all fifty-states. Because of my familiarity with the country, I was particularly impressed by the detail McLarty provides of obscure places as Smithy travels off-the-beaten-path across America. The details are amazing. I have seen the desperate look of East St. Louis, Illinois. I’ve been to some of the towns in Colorado that amazed Smithy by their beauty. And I can image the route from Fontana and Pomona to Sunset Boulevard and on to Venice Beach, although I wouldn’t want to travel that by bicycle – or automobile. The attention that McLarty gives to description makes this a very alive book.

Not only does McLarty tell the stories of his characters in the book, we hear stories within the stories from the books that Smithy reads crossing the country.

I highly recommend The Memory of Running.