Rating: 
Summary: minds and hearts opening soon
Review: I was initially resistant to reading this book, no matter that I loved Billie Letts' first novel, _Where The Heart Is._ My hesitation, snobbishly, had to do with what I considered to be a "silly" title, somewhat like _Fried Green Tomatoes At The Whistle-Stop Cafe_ by Fannie Flagg. I only read THAT wonderful book after falling in love with the movie. You'd think I'd have learned._The Honk And Holler Opening Soon_ begins bleakly, introducing characters one by one, some of whom have yet to meet. Caney Paxton is a wheelchair-bound Vietnam veteran and owner of the strangely-named diner (due to a drunken misunderstanding with the sign-maker). Molly O, a woman who helped to raise Caney and also helps him to run the cafe, is dreading Christmas without her country music-singing runaway daughter and is over-compensating by forcing Christmas cheer on Caney and the Holler's regulars. Vena Takes Horse, a beautiful young Crow woman and drifter, rescues an injured dog while thinking of her sister; and Bui Khanh, a Vietnamese immigrant, searches for a new home after an unfortunate car accident. Both Vena and Bui wind up at the Honk and Holler, turning the small-town Oklahoma diner into a veritable melting pot and the lives of Caney and Molly O upside down. Letts brings to life even the book's more minor characters, causing the reader to feel part of a large and mixed-up extended family. The use of foreshadowing and symbolism might seem heavy-handed in a book of this type (an oriental-looking baby Jesus in Molly O's nativity display; a gelding terrified by the sound of gunshots), but instead lends magic and a not-unwelcome feeling of security due to fate (or the hand of a Higher Power) stepping in where it is most needed. There are a few minor faults, but they seemed insignificant as I was eventually unable to put the book down for fear the story would move on without me. As it catapults to its perfect conclusion, Letts' writing is sure to bring tears to more sensitive readers, including myself. _The Honk and Holler Opening Soon_ is not such a silly title after all, for the "opening soon" applies to the broadening of the characters' minds, the building of new lives, and the irrelevance of race in true caring and friendship. A feel-good story with a universal message, this book shouldn't disappoint anyone.
Rating:
Summary: What a Great book!!!!!
Review: The Honk and Holler Opening Soon by Billie Letts What a terrific book! I loved the characters from the moment I set eyes on the first page. In all honestly, I waited to start it until I had completely finished another book.(an 800 page thing that really got tedious in parts-but I did finish, a mistake not to be repeated) The story opens in a small cafe in OK where we find Caney a Vietnam Vet,with a lot of baggage and unresolved issues. Also, we find his friend Molly O,a woman with her own set of problems. Everything is as normal as can be expected, until one-day in walks an Indian woman with a three legged dog looking for a job. The main characters in this book are great, but it is the minor characters and how they respond to the unfolding events that kept me turning pages to see what happens next. The town gossip, the three elderly guys that meet every morning for breakfast, the town villain, all add contrast to the picture beautifully painted with words by Billie Letts. I'll tell you right off I love to read, however, I am not a fast reader and for me to go through a book in a few days is a feet in itself. I very rarely do that unless I am really enjoying the story....I finished this book in 3 days. I found myself reading late into the night and crawling into bed(where I read) earlier than normal.
Rating: 
Summary: Book is ok, but short of opening something.
Review: This book was not the worst I've ever read, but it is certainly not the greatest. I didn't exactly understand the joke about Opening Soon, and the whole book was slightly fuzzy, but it made sense in some areas. This is maybe worth a read, but definitely not a keeper.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Enthralling ! ! !
Review: The Honk and Holler Opening Soon by Billie Letts The setting of this story is small Town America-Sequoyah, Oklahoma. The "Honk," a small restaurant just off a somewhat deserted highway, is owned by Caney Paxton, a Vietnam Veteran who lost the use of his legs when he fell out of a helicopter. Therefore, he is confined to a wheelchair. The town people often wondered if Caney's manliness still worked. There are six scenes in the book that truly touch the heart. I will list them without giving the exact details. To find out what this is all about you'll have to read the book. 1. Bui puzzled over why Sam who did not fight in the Vietnam War wanted to kill him and why Caney who did go to war was his friend. 2. The phone call from Carlotta. 3. Information from the man at the old house in Texas and the little tobacco can. 4. The introduction of Caney's son. 5. The bath, rocking, and the ultimate feat. 6. The Dance. The Honk and Holler Opening Soon is "down-home" and down to earth with true-to-life characters-plain and simple. The author writes in a style that invoked emotions that brought tears, laughter, anger, and compassion. This story stayed in my thoughts for a long time after reading it. It was as though the characters had become a part of my life.
Rating: 
Summary: Good book!
Review: I'm an italian english student. This is my first book in English. I enjoyed this book because it is very easy to read! I'm going to read other books written by Billie Letts. I loved her characters because they are far to be perfect. Caney the owner of the cafe in which the novel takes place is a Vietnam vet. He is a desabled man after an acciden during the war. Caney lives with a sense of failure. He works with Molly O, who is like a mother for him. The cafe does not get good business untill Vena, the new carhop, comes to town. Caney, hires in his cafe also Bui, a Vietnamise in search of a life. This is a book full of human feelings in which "amor vicit omnia" (love win everything) and in which everythig can happen (an american vet become friend of a Vietnamise guy). I strongly recommend this book and I'm also sure that "Honk and Holler" could be a good movie!!
Rating:
Summary: Individuality
Review: The Honk and Holler Opening Soon is about four misfits who all work together in a rundown café. They all have very unique personalities that change each other and their surroundings. Each of them is haunted by their past and that's what makes them so who they are. Some of their qualities open each other, others cause them to become more passive and aggressive.
Vena and Bui are two outsiders that eventually acquire jobs at the Honk. Vena traveled all over the states from fear of people loving her. She just always ran away. Bui came from Vietnam and was trying to raise money and get a house for his wife to come be with him. Caney and Molly O have lived in Sequoyah, where the Honk is, their whole lives. Caney grew up under the roof of Molly O so they're very close. Caney went into to the Vietnam war and was paralyzed waist down. Molly O being like a mother cared for him.
When Bui and Vena start work at the Honk Caney knew they would change his life. Some changes were good and other bad. The two brought in more customers and Caney acquired new friendships. Vena also opened up a part of Caney he never thought he could get back again. Bui caused some trouble because not all of the public approved of a Vietnamese working at the Honk. That didn't stop Caney from keeping him around though.
The four characters go through much turmoil. Molly O has a daughter who can't stay home and steals. Bui doesn't fully get the American concept. Vena is in the search of how her sister died, and can't stay in one place long. And Caney is afraid to open up after his Vietnam experience. A friend of Bui's said a bible verse in the book, "Behold, I shrew upon you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed." That fits all of the characters perfectly.
Overall the book was great. Some points left me wondering though. You couldn't fully understand the characters. An experience would mean something to them but you couldn't quite feel their emotion in it. Were they happy or sad. Also in the beginning it skipped around too much. Eventually, all the characters tied together, but it took a while.
Rating:
Summary: The Honk and Holler Opening Soon
Review: I really enjoyed this book and although I did not think it lived up to "Where the Heart Is", one of my all time favorites, it was still a wonderful story about some off the wall characters who find something in one another and a happy ending in the small town of Sequoya, Oklahoma. I will be looking forward to more from Ms. Letts.
Rating:
Summary: Small Town America - Sequoyah, Oklahoma
Review: I changed the title of this review to "Absolutely Enthralling." The setting of this story is small Town America-Sequoyah, Oklahoma. The "Honk," a small restaurant just off a somewhat deserted highway, is owned by Caney Paxton, a Vietnam Veteran who lost the use of his legs when he fell out of a helicopter. Therefore, he is confined to a wheelchair. The town people often wondered if Caney's manliness still worked. There are six scenes in the book that truly touch the heart. I will list them without giving the exact details. To find out what this is all about you'll have to read the book. 1. Bui puzzled over why Sam who did not fight in the Vietnam War wanted to kill him and why Caney who did go to war was his friend. 2. The phone call from Carmelita. 3. Information from the man at the old house in Texas and the little tobacco can. 4. The introduction of Caney's son. 5. The bath, rocking, and the ultimate feat. 6. The Dance. The Honk and Holler Opening Soon is "down-home" and down to earth with true-to-life characters-plain and simple. The author writes in a style that invoked emotions that brought tears, laughter, anger, and compassion. This story stayed in my thoughts for a long time after reading it. It was as though the characters had become a part of my life.
Rating:
Summary: The Honk and Holler Opening Soon
Review: I came from a small town and can see the story vividly . It kept my interest and at first I could not bear to have the dog injured but the more I read the more I wanted to see what was going to happen. The characters were real and learned to appreciate each other once they got to know each other. I enjoyed the book. Adrienne
Rating:
Summary: Interesting characters - a good comfortable read
Review: The characters and the story line were interesting even if a tad bit predictable. The characters were solidly written and the author did a wonderful job in assigning their personality traits. I must say I was a little disappointed in the ending - I felt there were a few too many loose ends for my taste - it almost felt like the author tired of writing - but perhaps that is simply her style. Even with that, the story-line is solid and the characters fun to get to know. A good quick Saturday read.
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