Tim Parker wrote me this e-mail:

I just re-read “Tenkiller” in When the Women Come Out to Dance, and it seems
the story of Grandpa Carl is quite different than it plays out in The Hot
Kid, Comfort to the Enemy, and Up in Honey’s Room. In Tenkiller, Carl
marries Kitty and then remains single (although still married) until his
death - no mention of Louly at all. Also, Ben Webster’s best friend is
Preston Raincrow, whose Great-grandma was Narcissa - who was the father?
Wasn’t she Virgil’s common-law wife?

Just a few thoughts and questions - would love to hear more of the story.

Tim

Are their other examples of shifting backstories in Elmore’s work?

Kitty was Louly’s name when she was working at Teddy’s place.

I assume that Carl goes back to calling her Kitty because Louly left him.

One of the most interesting things about TenKiller—besides the fact that it appeared prior to the Hot Kid—is that we learn that Carl and Louly had a son Robert who died in Vietnam. Carl’s daughter in law (Ben’s Mom) dies of drugs and alcohol in San Francisco. It sure would great to find out the full stories about these interesting characters. That would certainly bridge the minor historical gap in the Webster family saga.

nolen - 01 July 2007 06:48 PM

One of the most interesting things about TenKiller—besides the fact that it appeared prior to the Hot Kid—is that we learn that Carl and Louly had a son Robert who died in Vietnam. Carl’s daughter in law (Ben’s Mom) dies of drugs and alcohol in San Francisco. It sure would great to find out the full stories about these interesting characters. That would certainly bridge the minor historical gap in the Webster family saga.

I have always thought the same thing about the lost Websters.

We have never had a Elmore Leonard book set in the 60’s, right?

The Big Bounce may be set in the sixties and many more of them refer back to the sixties and the war in South East Asia—for example Freaky Deaky and Mr. Majestyk—but I don’t think EL’s done for the sixties what he’s done for other decades. The Webster saga, which bridges the time periods of his two genres would really click with a story about Robert and Cheryl (Carl’s daughter in law). That would be so great!