The Swansong of Wilbur McCrum

In her debut novel, English author Kita effortlessly captures the spirit of the Wild West. Protagonist Wilbur McCrum can't help but concede his life has been one unlucky turn after another. Plagued by "fits" that suggest epilepsy, Wilbur is abandoned by one person after the next during his brief and tragic childhood. Soon, he's making his way in the world the best way he knows how%E2%80%94not entirely above-board, as it turns out. Wilbur's humorous life as a ne'er-do-well reads like Moll Flanders meets Zane Grey. Best of all, Kita nails the vernacular of the times with great humor. Here, Wilbur sizes up a prostitute he's fallen in love with: "To me she'd have been well nigh perfect, iffen only she'd had a full set of teeth." Readers are assured a rollicking ride to the novel's emotional finish. (Sept.)