Article archive / December 1, 2015
Originally published: . Volume 6, No. 12. Source pages: 15.
The Tin Roof Blowdown by James Lee Burke
This novel by James Lee Burke offered some pertinent reflections on such issues as resilience, addiction, impact of environment, psychological impairment, spirituality and religion. For those who are familiar with the books of James Lee Burke, you are aware of his gift of prose and human understanding which include the basic primal struggles of the human condition. His main character, Detective Robicheaux embodies all of the elements mentioned above. For those of us in south Louisiana, the setting of The Tin Roof Blowdown is very familiar. Written in 2007, the story takes place with the experiences of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Being from New Iberia, Detective Robicheaux deals with the human and systemic situation in the wake of these storms and has some relevant reflections on the various characters and situations in New Orleans and the New Iberia area. It is a quick read which is packed with insights and understanding of people and societal factors.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.