Sinclair Lewis wrote many books besides Babbitt (which I could never get through) and Main Street (which I love) though these are his most famous. Not to be missed is what may well be the very first road story, Free Air, written in 1919-long before Jack Kerouk’s famous road book.
“When the windshield was closed it became so filmed with rain that Claire fancied she was piloting a drowned car…She was excited and thoroughly miserable....But the Gomez-Dep roadster had seventy horsepower, and sang songs. Since she had left Minneapolis, nothing had passed her. Back yonder a truck had tried to crowd her, and she had dropped into a ditch, climbed a bank, and returned to the road, and after that the truck was not.”
Are you laughing yet? Thus opens this wonderful novel by Mr. Lewis. Our heroine, Miss Claire Boltwood of Brooklyn, is driving her father from Minneapolis to Seattle-the idea being that he needs a rest for his nerves! Along the way she and her father meet Milt Daggett (and his cat!), he helps them out of some mud, and soon becomes their guardian angel…driving just a bit behind them so that he can help out the pretty Miss Boltwood and her father in whatever trouble comes…and trouble does come.
Yes, Milt is our hero but there is also Jeff, Claire’s special friend from New York and you can see where this is going ,can’t you?
A thoroughly enjoyable tale and heartily recommended, delightfully read by Hollis Hanover.
You can download this free audiobook here or download the free e-book here ( then just right click and save as to keep download). Sorry, no free Kindle format download available . You can download it for $2.99 from Amazon here.
Just for fun, I’m adding some iron-on transfer embroidery patterns of vintage cars…hmmm, not sure there’s a Gomez Dep but will a Model T do for a Tin Bug?
1909 Ford Model T ....yes, I think a ten year old Model T suits the Tin Bug well.
I had a little more trouble finding something for the Gomez-Dep, a car totally from Mr. Lewis' imagination. Here's a 1907 Rolls Royce...
But in my imagination, this comes closer...though its many years in the future...a 1931 Chrysler Imperial.
BTW, I actually embroidered the Model T for an all embroidered summer coverlet.
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I had a little more trouble finding something for the Gomez-Dep, a car totally from Mr. Lewis' imagination. Here's a 1907 Rolls Royce...
But in my imagination, this comes closer...though its many years in the future...a 1931 Chrysler Imperial.
BTW, I actually embroidered the Model T for an all embroidered summer coverlet.
6 comments:
It sounds like a very pleasant book to read or listen to! My father used to read aloud to my mother while she was knitting or hand sewing. So cosy. The old cars are beauties!
Hi Miri,
I am now listening to The Hansome Cab as you recommended last week. I had a bit of confusion getting it on my ipod but that was due to operator error, it downloaded from the site perfectly.
I have Babbit upstairs waiting, probably after the summer though.
I added the link to my FIFA reading list. I have had a few suggestions from readers, so the list keeps getting better.
Love the embroidery patterns.
I love those old car embroidery transfers!
Thanks for the book report Miri-now if I could only figure out how to download it to my MP3 or my IPod-any suggestions?!
Hi Miri, That sounds so good, a little like a grown up (somewhat) Nancy Drew. I like the antique car transfers, too! Have you read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society? It's really good.
Folks reading this (it has been a long time since any other visitors) might like to know that there is a theater group in Rosemount, MN. that will be performing Free Air as written for the stage by John Loch. When the Free Air movie was filmed the town of Schoenstrom was actually Rosemount. There will be a Livestream of the show on November 11. For more information on this project send me an email and I will send you the links.
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