Here We Go Loop De Loop

Sibley (Sighs Too Deep for Words) crams this quirky Texas epic with humor, contemporary issues, and oddball characters. Wealthy rancher Pete Pennebaker is dying and wants to hand his empire off to his only daughter, Marty, who has recently returned from New York City and is carrying on a poorly concealed relationship with Pettus Lyndecker, the oldest in a large family of downwardly mobile ranchers with a history of legal troubles. Chito Sosa, a Mexican investment banker, arrives and surprises Marty and Pete by introducing himself as the widower of Marty’s deceased brother Tom, who made Chito promise to return to his hometown to spur change for the better. Meanwhile, Pettus’s sisters struggle to keep their flower shop afloat after a spoiled young woman open a competing shop across the street, and Pete uses his influence to protect a newly arrived Syrian refugee. A love triangle between Pettus, Chito, and Marty takes an unusual turn while complicated schemes to thwart business rivals produce life-altering consequences. Sibley manages to keep all the plates spinning while offering a strong sense of small-town Southern life. This eccentric, multifaceted story has a great deal of heart. (Self-published)