Hap and Leonard: Blood and Lemonade

Fans of Lansdale’s Hap and Leonard novels (Rusty Puppy, etc.) will welcome this wonderful compilation of vignettes and episodes from Hap Collins’s early life in East Texas, most of which deal with issues of racism and injustice. “Tire Fire” relates the full story of teenager Hap’s memorable first meeting with Leonard Pine at a nighttime “money fight” in the country. In “The Parable of the Stick,” Hap learns an early lesson about dealing with schoolyard bullies. In “Blood and Lemonade,” Hap’s mother provides a poignant lesson on doing the right thing when she returns a lost, beaten-up young black child to his family, only to face hostility and distrust. Another highlight is “Apollo Red,” in which Hap tells girlfriend Brett and daughter Chance a few stories about his father, a larger-than-life character, whose kindness and charitable actions often seemed to contradict his racist talk. This loose collection of tales showcases some of Lansdale’s most personal and reflective writing to date. Agent: Danny Baror, Baror International. (Mar.)