A JERICHO'S COBBLE MISCELLANY

Shachtman’s literary novel chronicles life in a humble New England village.

The fictional town of Jericho’s Cobble, Massachusetts, is a rural place, though not exactly a remote one. While Jericho’s Cobble is simply home to people who have grown up there (some refer to them as “Cobblers”), it also draws weekenders and retirees from places like New York City, interlopers who are referred to as “Gobblers.” In this narrative, the thoughts and struggles of various Cobblers, Gobblers, and other parties (including some inanimate objects) are brought to life. Jeannie Johnson is a local who works at the Get’nGo preparing breakfast items alongside other women whom she thinks of as “the sorority of the brown bags.” In Jeannie’s world, “Work is work—not uplifting, not demeaning, just what’s there to be done.” Nathan Archer died in 1779; he reflects, from his grave in the local cemetery, on his experience as an enslaved person in the area. One of the arsonists who burned down the Jericho’s Cobble Town Hall in 1981 is a man named Hoke Klecko. Hoke discusses his experiences with A.A. meetings and his road to recovery following his release from prison. From a babysitter’s diary to the thoughts of an abandoned barn to a guitarist looking to make a go at the big time, the fun comes from seeing what each new perspective will reveal. Surprises abound, but some characters are less galvanizing than others; plumber Andy Borska, for instance, provides a dry, lengthy rundown of his family business, explaining that it was “started by my grandfather, Karol, upon his arrival from Gdansk after World War I, and was continued by my father, Pyotr, on his return from Korean War service.” Still, even characters like Andy have meaningful things to share, like the idea that “growing up means becoming dissatisfied some.”

An invitingly varied and intimate look at what makes a small town tick.