Living Jackson Magazine : A Reminder of Stones

A Reminder of Stones

A review by David Sweetman

A reviewer is supposed to get a free copy of the book. A sign of how much I like Caine Campbell’s A Reminder of Stones is the fact that I not only bought a copy, I bought two more, to give to pals of mine to read. I still haven’t gotten my free copy.

I relish the down-home characters, small town intrigue and a fascinating melange of inner tales that would be as equally well-spun over a chunk stove in a country store as they are in this novel. In these troubling times, what a wonderful read it is to be able to transport yourself into fictional Joshua County, Texas, to follow the workings of Sheriff Bannerman and the cast of characters. I feel like I’ve met some of the folks in the book. A question-and-answer series reveals the author’s thoughts.

Q: Where does the title of the novel come from?
A: The Bible, from the Book of Joshua. The title is not just a label. Drawing on verses in Joshua, Ben Edes explains to Cable, “The (Jewish) tribes were taking over land, and cities, and the Lord was egging them on. They would slaughter the inhabitants, that is, the owners, and take their land and worldly goods. If what was done around here to the Indians and Mexicans had been done before the Book of Joshua was written, instead of the other way around, Joshua would be a fit allegory for how this area was settled.”

Q: What did you want to do in writing A Reminder of Stones?
A: To write a good yarn. That’s the first thing a novel should be.

Q: There’s more to A Reminder of Stones than that, though.
A: For the close reader there is. The casual reader may easily wade clear of some or most of the deep water.

Q: Is this the subtlety of your style?
A: The narrative is as clear as a window pane, not crafted with subtlety. No, the reason goes back to writing a good yarn. In fiction I work for a tautness and an agility of language. The result there on the page is supple language, but some wit, some sting of intellect, finds its way in.

Q: Is A Reminder of Stones a mystery novel?
A: No, it’s a novel of mysteries. At the center is Cable’s own drama of identity. That’s a mystery for Cable as well as for us. Seven mysteries cascade through the narrative. The two literal mysteries, of the kind a sheriff attempts to solve, are the diamonds in the Trans Am—how did they get there, why was the Trans Am stolen from the Equal Opportunity Car Lot—and the “perfect crime” murder of banker Phil G. Swinton behind locked doors. The other mysteries are: Who is stalking Cable? Will Linda Faye and Cable fall in love? What will be Ben Edes’s fate as he faces Cable’s revolver? How will the militia be ousted from Coal Mine Ranch? What will Cable learn about himself?

Q: What answer was Cable searching for?
A: Thinking that he knew what they were, Cable did not set out to search for his roots. He looked instead to find, in his family line, justification for his brand of frontier justice. His search led to a discovery that was as unwelcome as it was surprising.

Q: What troubles Cable so much?
A: Cable tells us he feels an urge to kill in the line of duty. Cable’s urge to kill is a propensity he shares with Everyman, whether in the line of duty or not. We may think of the increasing incidence of road rage, workplace rage and other rages and hope the behavior is aberrant, but even a sign in plain public view in the license plate office in a rural Georgia county declares, “There are people walking around alive just because it’s against the law to kill them.” While it draws a laugh, the sign betrays an inclination, although infrequently acted upon, to wish to resort to killing.

What Cable Bannerman searches for, and what he finds, is a grim tale. Yet in the novel there is humor here there and yonder.

David Sweetman is Contributing Editor for Newport Communications Group. From time to time he can be found dining in Jackson County at The Carriage House.

Author and Living Jackson Editor Caine Campbell is a Jackson County resident. A Reminder of Stones is available in Jefferson at Crawford W. Long Pharmacy and in Commerce at Commerce Drug Company for $14.95.