The story is an interesting one, and I loved the movie made "loosely" based on this book, but I found Capps' writing not of particularly high quality, and his dialogue somewhat clunky and repetitive. Unlike other reviews, I do not find the comparative increase of lechery from film to book an inherent problem, but the (lack of) style and flow of Capps' prose made the quality of the plot and characterization somewhat irrelevant. ( )

I haven't seen the movie (called Love Song of Bobby Long) but I loved the book. Hanna, the teenage girl, is one of the best characters I've encountered in a long time. She's had a tough life, lived in poverty, dropped out in ninth grade, been knocked around, has a foul mouth but is clearly smart as a whip. The two old alcoholics recognize her talent and become her mentors, which is a hilarious setup. They nurture her through high school even as they can see that they are creating a young woman who will leave them behind. It's touching and funny, and I couldn't stop reading. Yes, the old guys are lechers but they're also harmless clowns, which Hanna quickly realizes. Hanna is in control of them in ways they only realize much too late. ( )