The Cajuns

Local Girl Comes Home, Gets in Trouble Deep:
Ruth Ann Daigle comes back home to Richelieu, Louisiana in 1956 to care for her dying father, who is owner of the local paper. She had been working as a reporter in New Orleans, so she knows her way around a newspaper. She knows her way around a story too and she sees one in Richelieu in the supposed accidental death of a local teenager. However she upsets her fellow townfolk when she investigates. At first the town Sheriff resents Ruth Ann's interference and continual questioning, but she gradually wins him over, inspite of the fact that his State-Senator, powerbroker, father-in-law wants to let this sleeping dog lie. This is a story filled with characters that are funny, tragic, different and totally interesting. Graft is the order of the day in Richelieu, in fact it seems the more a politician steals, the more his is admired, well, of course, until he steals too much. Gue Weill has painted a picture of a time and place so well that the people seem to walk off the pages and right into your heart. By the time you finish this story you will not only have read a delicious mystery, but you'll feel like you are a card carrying Cajun girl, or boy. The Gumbo just drips off the pages.

The Cajuns:
I am 100% Cajun and grew up in "Cajun Country" in the 50's. The author reinforces the stereoptypes of the people of Acadiana that we fought to hard to temper. Like any other part of the U.S. with ethnic differences, the south has received much in the way of superior regional literature. Read James Lee Burke and one will understand the good and bad of Cajun Louisiana. This book is but a poor imitation of Burke's art and I'm sorry to say that after reading about half of The Cajuns I wanted to chuck the book across the room.

Sex scenes are unrealistic:
I liked this book but I just have to "vent" a little about how the author writes about sex. Even though the sex scenes are pretty good and realistic to a point, Weill refers to the main character's "sex" as in she "touched his sex." Now everyone reading this book knows that the term "sex" is never used by a real man to describe his genitals. Even children now are taught the proper term. I am old enough to know that a grown man has never thought of his body in this way. Later in the book Weill uses an explicit word for the male genitals as part of a character's dialogue. Why then would he use the silly term "his sex" in the book? Surely a man born in 1933 knows better than this.

A Savory Cajun Gumbo Of Great Characters, Plot & Mystery!:
Gus Weill perfectly captures the Cajun culture, rich as a delicious gumbo, the musical patois, and the extraordinarily eccentric characters of Louisiana's backwater Richelieu Parish in 1956, where rampant political corruption and petty theft is a way of life. This is a town where the locals look-up to those who cheat successfully. Author Weill examines the resemblance of this tiny town to a large dysfunctional family, which somehow manages to get through life's tribulations with a little help from each other - in spite of themselves. State Senator Papoot Gaspard, a local, has become a legend in his own time. He could have invented the concept of graft. His daughter Bebe, once beautiful, now obese, is a simple, loving woman married to town sheriff, Bobby Boudreaux. She eats uncontrollably to calm her libido. Bobby doesn't get turned-on by fat women. In a town of devout Catholics, Papoot's son, Father Justin, is the most righteous. Mayor Big Head Arceneaux; wealthy Big Shot Fontenot and his father, Li'l Shot; powerful lawyer Hurphy Perrault who has a club foot which no one notices because he is so rich; Bad A-s (sorry censorship rules!) Thibodeaux, the town drunk; Catfish Francois, cook extraordinaire; Possum Aucoin, the town barber who presides over all important parish business; One Lung Savoy, poolroom doyen; gas station owner President Prejean, (yes his 1st name is President), a man with definite political ambition; Misty, the local Madame and her business partner, Ballou Sinistere; local DJ NaNa Duhon and his ever present papoon, Lucky, also populate the novel. "The Cajuns" is worth reading just to bone up on the antics of these characters. "The Cajuns" is more than a character and cultural study of life in rural Louisiana, mid-20th century, however. With all its humor and satire, this is a mystery and a poignant, moving drama. Former resident and New Orleans newspaper reporter Ruth Ann Daigle comes home to Richelieu to care for her dying father, owner of the local paper. She is super smart, sexy and sophisticated - so she sure stands out in Richelieu. Ruth Ann has never been one to mind her own business, which is why she excels as a reporter. She manages to vex her fellow citizens, soon after her arrival, by persistently inquiring into the supposedly accidental death of a local teen. Sheriff Boudreaux, who could be called the town's conscience, is at first resentful of Ruth Ann's continuous questioning. Then he becomes interested in joining her, in spite of his fear of alienating his powerbroker father-in-law. Long repressed feelings and urges ignite between the two as their investigation progresses. Although the novel's pace plods at times, especially in the beginning, the characters are fascinating, funny and occasionally tragic. The mystery and conflicts are quite timely and relevant, over fifty years after the action takes place. I am glad I stuck with the book. It is worth it. Recommended! JANA

A Caricature Not A Portrait:
I am a Cajun and can assure you that this book presents a ridiculous caricature of Cajun life. While there are some elements of actuality in the book, it gives a very wrong impression of what Cajuns are like. I realize that it is a work of fiction, but it is presented as written by some kind of expert on Louisiana. I think that Mr. Weill should be ashamed. Notice this phrase from the book jacket: "a wonderfully bizarre yet corrupt culture". Does this refer to actual Cajun culture or the creation of Mr. Weill's insensitive mind? It is hard to tell what was intended. This book will give the impression to people who don't know better that Cajuns are inherently a corrupt and stupid people. This is far from the truth. I found it particularly galling and amusing at the same time to read the stupid comment by James Carville on the back cover. "Nobody but nobody knows the Cajun people like Gus Weill. Fantastic." Is it any wonder that Democrats cannot carry Louisiana in presidential elections anymore?