While the ‘tiger of war’ rages across the Pacific during WWII, eccentric, elderly Agnes Odboddy, ‘fights the war from the home front’. Her patriotic duties are interrupted when she is accused of the Wilkey’s Market burglary.
A traveling carnival with a live tiger joins the parishioner’s harvest fair at The First Church of the Evening Star and Everlasting Light. Accused again when counterfeit bills are discovered at the carnival, and when the war bond money goes missing, Agnes sets out to restore her reputation and locate the money. Her attempts lead her into harm's way when she discovers a friend's betrayal and even more about carnival life than she bargained for.
Granddaughter Katherine's turbulent love triangle with a doctor and an FBI agent rivals Agnes’s own on-again, off-again relationship with Godfrey.
In Faber's latest novel, your favorite quirky character, Mrs. Odboddy, prevails against injustice and faces unexpected challenges . . . and then There Was a Tiger!
An Interview With A Character
What is your full name?
My name is Agnes Agatha Odboddy. I was born in Newbury, CA in 1873, so I can promise you, I’ve ‘seen it all.’ I watched as the use of horse and buggies turned in Jalopies and Model A’s, and now that it’s 1943 and we’re at war, I can promise that I’ll do everything in my power to promote the war effort, expose conspiracies and bring Nazi spies to heel. Believe me, even in this small town, Nazi spies have infiltrated every walk of life. That’s pretty much who and what I am.
What is your Profession?
I’m a retired government worker, having served under cover in Europe during WWI as a secret agent. I carried a gun and I know how to use it. Now, It is my civic duty to volunteer in every capacity to serve the troops and promote democracy at every turn. I may be old, but nothing gets past these eyes. Enemies of the state…beware! I’m onto you, and I’ll bring you down.
What is your current favorite book or movie?
I loved Gone with the Wind and Casablanca. Both war time movies, but set during different wars. I’ve read The Grapes of Wrath three times and each time, it tears into my soul, the plight of the migrant workers. Thank goodness, those times are past and with the return of rain to the Midwest in 1939, and the efforts of the government, planting millions of trees between Canada and Texas as a windbreak to prevent another such disaster, folks in the Midwest are back home and growing things. Now, though, most of those crops are sent to the troops and those of us holding the fort back home or stuck with rationing and such. Ah, the things we do for the war effort!
What is your go to comfort book or movie?
I love reading The Robe by Lloyd Douglas. Following the life and death of Christ is inspiring and comforting when we feel things getting us down.
If someone was to play you in a movie who would it be? OR what would be the character you would want to be in a book?
Most of the popular movie actresses in Hollywood are too young to play me (being a youngish 70-something) but Joan Crawford could probably do it with the help of make-up to make her look older than she is. I would choose an actress with a lively sense of adventure and sense of humor to accurately play my role. Whoever was chosen, the movie would be a box top hit, guaranteed!
What is your ideal evening?
I like to have my boyfriend, Godfrey over for dinner. I’d make an ox-tail stew and soda biscuits with homemade strawberry jam, served with a green salad from my garden. Godfrey will hold my hand while we sit on the living room sofa and listen to our favorite radio show, The Green Hornet followed by The Lone Ranger. Then we’ll put on a couple of records from Benny Goodman’s band and talk a while. Maybe, we’ll even dance. Later, we’ll have homemade apple pie from my apple tree and coffee. That’s a special treat since coffee is rationed to one pound per adult every six weeks. As my granddaughter, Katherine, lives with me, we are allowed two pounds every six weeks.
Now tell me, doesn’t that sound like a pretty wonderful way to spend an evening? An ideal evening at home would be preferable to bringing Nazi’s to justice or following clues to expose a conspiracy. I guess I save those types of activities for days (or nights) when Godfrey is too busy to visit.
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