REVIEWS

Close to Home: Coming of age in the age of fallout shelters

Review by Jeff Rodriguez for Fort Worth Star-Telegram Published: Sunday, August 16, 1998

In C.W. Smith's `Understanding Women,' everyone's looking for something. First there's Trudy, the college girl searching for a connection with the provocative new Beat Generation.

Then there's Trudy's older cousin, Sharon. She's looking for a man to take care of her; for the moment, she's hooked up with Waylan, who has good intentions but also has a wife.

That wife is Vicky, a strong-willed woman who has come west looking for a new start and intellectual stimulation. Waylan, meanwhile, is merely looking for a way to keep both women happy.

In the midst of this scavenger hunt comes 16-year-old Jim from Dallas, out to visit his Uncle Waylan and Aunt Vicky in the oil fields of New Mexico. In the course of the summer of 1956, Jim will search for clues on what type of man he will become. All of these people will help him find the answer.

`Understanding Women' is a pseudo-biographical novel as well as a sweetly sentimental story about a boy trying to come of age while adults try to act their age. The book is a pleasing recollection of growing up in the era of fallout shelters, with just the right touch of humor and hormones. Smith has captured the essence of a teen-age boy in all his eagerness and uncertainty.

This is the sixth novel for Smith, who has an easy-to-digest tone and style. He has created -- or rather, re-created -- some wonderful characters. Uncle Waylan, Aunt Vicky and even Trudy are fascinating, and any of the three could be the basis for a separate novel. Instead, they're all in one place, helping young Jim understand women while he learns how they try to understand men.

There are uneven spots, most very minor. Unfortunately, the most glaring flow comes near the end, when the book makes an abrupt turn. Early on, Smith touches on some of the issues of the day -- censorship, the Red Scare. It's a secondary theme, provocative and valuable, but in the final pages, Smith pushes this story line to the forefront.

The result is that this gentle tale of reminiscence becomes a social commentary, even including actual people and incidents that took place in Dallas. Smith's earnestness is admirable, but his story might have been better served by keeping the politics as a side dish rather than a dessert.

That likely miscue isn't enough to spoil this literary meal. `Understanding Women' is a tender, appetizing story, lovingly prepared, and for Metroplex readers it's home-cooked as well.

Jeff Rodriguez is a regular `Star-Telegram book reviewer.