An old sixties musician and his trim mama run a pot farm in the Emerald Triangle of northern California and welcome an exonerated ex-con, a Las Vegas prostitute, a union organizer from the Bronx, an escapee of a sex slave cult, a retired carney with Parkinson’s Disease, and an old Mississippi blues guitarist down on his luck. Together they create a last resort, a modern version of home and family.
Professional Reviews
Chico Enterprise-Record
For years, Chico novelist Emily Gallo (emilygallo.com) has been chronicling the lives of an ever-widening circle of misfits. Sipping “endless cups of Earl Grey tea” at the Tin Roof Cafe, Gallo writes with non-judgmental simplicity as her characters try to make their way in the world.
“The Last Resort” ($12.95 in paperback, self-published; also for Amazon Kindle) is the sixth in the series. The title refers to a pot farm near Garberville “in the lush Emerald Triangle” owned by guitarist Dutch Bogart, who moved there in the early ’70s.
“Local musicians who went on to become famous themselves started playing his songs and his course was set. His guitar style was southern blues, but his songwriting fell neatly into the more lucrative rock and roll category.”
Now, “disillusioned and drained by the bright lights and groupie mentality, he decided he had enough money and recognition” and so he came to the farm. Others would come as well, each with a story.
The harvest over, the two “trimmigrants” from Quebec are preparing to move on. The aging Homer, whose Parkinson’s is mitigated by iPod music and vaping “Kobain Kush,” a marijuana type “high in THC,” remains on the farm. Soon Juniper arrives with a young woman named Scarlett, Juniper’s “younger foster sister” who “ended up entangled in a sex ring after I was released from the system.”
Then Buster Fingerpickin’ McCracken shows up, the blues guitarist still sprightly. Luther, “a tall, handsome, lanky African-American in his late thirties,” who spent 20 years in San Quentin before being freed by the Innocence Project, finds his way to the farm as well. As do Leo and Tasha, he a union organizer infatuated with Tasha, she a Vegas card dealer and call girl.
As Dutch makes plans for a music festival (featuring Bonnie Raitt, Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite), fire sweeps through the area, but the farm survives. So do most of the friendships in this motley crew as they find the “last resort” is the start of something new.
BreakEven Books
I finished a book that I have been slowly ready for the last couple of months! This one was called The Last Resort by Emily Gallo.
I read this one over a long chunk of time and it was nice to keep coming back to. I liked that the story would take on different aspects of each character and explore them little bits at a time. All the characters came from very different backgrounds and it was interesting to see them all at this little safe haven working together as a little family.
This is definitely a character driven book and I think that is why it took me so long to get through. I enjoyed the book. It wasn’t my favorite or anything but it wasn’t bad either. There were some parts of the book that got pretty captivating in the middle and I was definitely more into it during those parts.
Overall, it was an average book that has the found family trope so if you enjoy that then you might like this book.
Bookshelf Bunny
Last Resort by Emily Gallo is contemporary novel that follows vivid characters who could easily be real human beings as they try to recover from the blows they have been dealt. This book is a little bit of everything. A look at the human condition, a little romance, a little adventure, and lots of hope and inspiration.
On a pot farm in Northern California, Dutch has been growing since before it was legal and has amassed a moderate fortune through his farm as well as his time spent as a musician. Together with Juniper, his friend and business partner, he has a habit of taking in workers from troubled pasts. In his stoic way, he gives them a place to work, live and find their peace. He comes a cross as quite and guarded, but clearly this man has a good heart and a desire to help others. The people who find their way to him are human beings who have experienced the worst life has to offer them, and jump at the chance to have a place to belong.
Among the borders Dutch and Juniper take on there is an ex-con, a Vegas prostitute, a young woman who spent time as a sex slave, a union rep, and a retired carnival worker suffering from Parkinson’s. Each character has their own unique past and character arc. When they find Dutch, they start to heal and form a sort of family as they work together. A few adventures strengthen the bond, including a fire, a visit from a pimp, and the hosting of a music festival. I felt drawn to each of the characters and their stories, but in particular I enjoyed Luther, the ex-con who was wrongfully convicted and spent several years in jail. Out in the world for the first time since he was young, the world around him is new and full of surprises. His quest for love with Juniper really tugged at my heart strings.
The overarching theme was one of redemption and belonging. At our core, human beings need connection with others. Even the worst of us. Even the most broken of us. The redemption theme of Last Resort reminds us that we all deserve a second chance, and with a little hard work and understanding for one another, we can all have one.
If you are looking for a feel good story that radiates inspiration, I highly recommend this book!
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May I offer you a Round the World Cruise of a lifetime for the price of a novel?
Not only do the seas roll on but two romances,a death at sea, uncovered past lives, history uncovered in Brazil, caves in Australia, poetry in Senegal, the Lux Mundi
