Swine
Not? A Novel ,
by Jimmy Buffett (Read by L.J. Ganser)
"My name is Rumpy, and I live at Flutbein's
Hotel." Unlike Eloise, the little girl who lived
at the Plaza, Rumpy is a pig. Jimmy Buffet's lighthearted,
comical tale of a family who lives at a posh New York
City hotel and hides their pet pig was inspired by the
actual experience of illustrator, Helen Bransford. Wait
a minute! A pig in a five-star hotel? An illustrator
for an audio book? What's going on? When Jimmy Buffet
saw his friend Helen's photo-illustrations and commentary
about hiding her pet pig at the Carlyle Hotel, he said,
"Swine Not?" He wrote the book and included
her illustrations on CD #5 of the audio book.
Although they were born in New York City,
since their parents' divorce, twins Barley and Maple
McBride have been living in Vertigo, Tennessee, with
their mother and a pet pig, Rumpy. Barley's dream is
to become a soccer star and play for the New York Red
Bulls. Maple's is to use her fashion design talents
to work with noted New York designer Karen Woo and Rumpy's
is to find his brother, Lukie. When Ellie accepts a
job as pastry chef at Flutbein's on Fifth Avenue in
New York, it looks like they'll all be closer to fulfilling
their goals. The madcap fun begins when they all move
into the exclusive hotel with the "No Exotic Pets"
policy and attempt to hide Rumpy from the hotel staff
and guests. Topping the list of threats is cleaver-wielding
head chef Boucher, who's determined to find Rumpy and
turn him into an entrée. The twins and Rumpy,
however, find allies in a flock of pigeons known as
the pigilantes.
This book, narrated alternately by Barley
and Rumpy, is a delight for anyone willing to suspend
belief for a few hours and allow imagination to reign.
Rumpy and the other animals are able to communicate
with each other, and they can understand the humans
but are not able to speak to them. The conversations
among the animals and their observations of human behavior
are both amusing and insightful. Barley also offers
words of wisdom when he describes soccer. "Soccer
is a team sport where you have to depend on and get
help from strangers," he says. "After you
help them or they help you, they become your friends."
As Barley applies this principle to his life, Buffett
is reminding listeners to do the same. Buffett augments
the story by touching on local geography in both the
Tennessee and New York settings. He talks about the
"Widow of the South" of the Battle of Franklin
fame as well as the wonders of New York City life. This
book is appropriate for adult, teen or younger listeners.
While it can be enjoyed by a single listener, try it
for a family road trip. Swine Not?
Ruth
Mormon
7/11/08
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