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Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite
Ogallala by Eric Eichhorn follows Bennett, divorced and long removed from Ann Arbor, who reconnects with his college girlfriend Jennifer after thirty years. Her daughter Zoe is a young MMA fighter traveling to Utah for a match, and Bennett volunteers to drive her and her trainer, Hector. On the road, the journey shifts from a simple trip into something darker when Hector and Hank, an ex-boxer, involve Bennett in a violent exchange at a Colorado ranch. Bennett becomes complicit in disposing of a man’s body, hauling duffel bags of knives, tarps, and, later, coolers filled with body parts. Despite his horror, he keeps driving west with Zoe, Hector, and their cargo hidden in the trunk. Bennett attempts to balance his role as Zoe's de facto protector and his unwilling entanglement in Hector’s criminal world.
Eric Eichhorn’s Ogallala is a really unique literary novel that moves fantastically between some truly grisly acts of concealment to the humdrum rhythm of family breakfasts and county fair talk. We see gyms, farms, and roadside stops that form the backdrop, and Eichhorn stretches the visuals by writing with a genuinely grounded eye for detail. The style itself is intelligent and witty, and I love how Zoe sort of moves forward in her preparation for a fight against Maritza Sanchez, but her focus is so completely different from the others and connected to the road trip. Meanwhile, Bennett is out digging a small trench. The juxtaposition is deliberate, and when combined with thoroughly fleshed-out characters, this is a book worth the time commitment. I would give it a whole bucket of stars if I could. Very highly recommended.
