Ellen and the Barber: Library Edition

by Frank O'Rourke, Mary Woods (Narrator)

Vividly evoking a small mid-west town during the Great Depression and World War II, Ellen and the Barber introduces us to three strong and surprising young women and the men in their Ellen, who has no good reason to deny her natural instincts; Miriam, torn between the promise of a loving future and the demands of family and home; and Vera, whose intelligence and restless hunger for life plunges her into disaster. Around these three vibrant women, O'Rourke has created a town so real and convincing that the listener experiences a sense of déjà  vu . Through dust storms and drought, economic depression and the lingering demise of small farming, Prohibition and the war that took its young men, the town and its people let us live and laugh and sometimes cry with them.

Audio Cassette

First published December 1, 1998

About the author

Frank O'Rourke was an American writer known for western and mystery novels and sports fiction. O'Rourke wrote more than 60 novels and numerous magazine articles.

Born in Denver, Colorado he attended Kemper Military School. A talented amateur baseball player, he considered trying out for a professional team, but was called up for service in World War II. At the end of the war he decided to become a writer.

Several of O'Rourke's novels were filmed, The Bravados (1958) was the first, and his novel A Mule for the Marquesa was made into a popular movie called The Professionals (1966).

Later in life, O'Rourke turned to writing children's literature. He committed suicide on April 27, 1989.

In addition to his actual name O'Rourke also wrote under the following names: Kevin Connor; Frank O'Malley and Patrick O'Malley

Reviews

[Dee Fallon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the third story, really liked the first one, and neutral about the second one. I was saddened to learn the author didn't live to see this book published and that his health was bad in his later years. The book was so well-written, wish I had learned about O'Rourke sooner, but then again this genre isn't really my favorite. I do love short stories though.

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

A surprisingly evocative and heartfelt trilogy of short stories, especially coming from a writer known primarily for mysteries, westerns, and sports novels. What surprised me most was O'Rourke's thorough understanding and delicate portrayal of his central female characters, as well as how relevant their feelings and concerns are today. Though set against the backdrop of the Depression-era midwest, the characters in these stories are almost tangibly real: a woman paralyzed by the choice between her career and marriage, a girl recklessly dreaming of sparkling California shores, a grown man hanging out with and preying on the teenagers, like that dude from Dazed and Confused. I found the third story, with its descriptions of the whimsy and unself-consciousness of first love, particularly charming.

[Jodie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good little quick read love stories with a twist.