Robert Goolrick's Heading Out to Wonderful uncovers secrets in a small town in this unforgettable story of lost and displaced souls in search of identity, acceptance and belonging. In 1948, Charlie Beale, an attractive, athletic, 39-year-old loner and World War II veteran, wanders into Brownsburg, Va., a quiet community in the Shenandoah Valley of the Blue Ridge Mountains. He carries with him only two suitcases--one packed with all of his worldly possessions, including a set of butcher knives, the other stuffed with money. Offered a job by the local butcher, Charlie is befriended by the shop owner's family, including his precocious five-year-old son, Sam (who tells the story, looking back from the perspective of many years). Charlie and the boy instantly bond, but when Charlie's path intersects with Sylvan Glass, the stunning teenage bride of the richest man in town, life for the three main characters will be forever changed by the ache and storm of love.
Charlie longs to put down roots while Sylvan, trapped in a loveless marriage, tries to carve out a persona for herself via images of captivating Hollywood starlets--and Sam, drawn away from his safe and secure familial environment, bears witness to the all-consuming relationship of the star-crossed lovers. Goolrick (A Reliable Wife) masterfully ratchets up the tension, while evocative sensory detail and spiritual overtones infuse the emotional landscape of a powerful, climactic novel that seeks to define and explore the meaning of love and goodness. --Kathleen Gerard, blogger at Reading Between the Lines