Last Chance Texaco

Christine Pountney

From Shelf: The 2000 Women's Prize for Fiction Longlist

John is a sensitive and wary 15-year-old. Born in Canada, but raised in California by a neglectful father, he finds solace in a relationship with the new girl in town. Their intensely romantic world is shattered by an experience that marks the first stop to an emotional and geographical journey.

John Wade is a sensitive, yet wary, fifteen-year-old. Born in Canada, abandoned by his mother and raised in California by a neglectful father, he finds solace in his relationship with Anna, the new girl in town. Their intensely romantic world is shattered by a devastating experience that marks the first step to an emotional and geographical journey that will bring John closer to maturity. Alone in the world and haunted by the past, John is at the mercy of his often misguided interpretation of events. What redeems him in the end is the sheer sincerity of his quest, an ability to survive disillusionment and move on. Last Chance Texaco is a fluent, lucid and cinematic novel by a gifted new writer.

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