{"product_id":"9781465319999","title":"Salt Lick, Vol. II: The Innocents","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSALT LICK, Vol. II, The Innocents,  by Dr. Robert A. (Sunny) Brock, the conclusion of Ali O'Riley's celebration of life is glutted with maturing parent-child, emotional relationships, and sibling bonding.  The same variety of personalities are present which filled the pages of Volume One, however, they are in the responsible summer of life.  The comedy, romance and pathos of life reach new plateaus as the families blunder through the early child-rearing years with purpose and hope.  As a clan-unit they share their joys and surprises, exploring male-female differences in perspective, finding new levels of patience with each other's shortcomings.  Again, the Christian message of redemption is folded into real life situations amidst friction and agitation.  All the relationships jell, teaching tolerance and patience among the diverse antagonistic personalities.  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTHOMAS and ALI set up housekeeping near a valley lake.  The other clan-couples soon follow, building homes around the lake, creating a protective, pastoral paradise and establishing their own town of Cousins, Georgia, between Savannah and Macon.  Thomas and Ali's cabin is nestled beside the main wagon trail.  A mysterious traveler and his two children, running from the east-coast Scarlet fever epidemic, are stranded.  The stranger departs in the night, leaving his ill children in Thomas and Ali's care.  Before the young girl dies, Ali catches her contagious disease.  Ali looses her strength and glory due to the ravages of Scarlet fever.  The small abandoned boy is given to ELIJAH to rear.  One of the many animal episodes occur in the cabin, teaching priority management.  During early morning hours, a squabbling wood duck and squirrel fall into the fireplace.  The comic bedlam of the chase brings about an accidental fire.  This incident sets the stage for empathetic-comedy, and romantic interlude of emotional joy and stress release, which the reader will vicariously share and fall in love with the couple.    \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAli's first born son, SUNNY (Big Foot), enters the story and steals the show to the end of the book.  Sunny's two year old, baby-talk is contrasted by his uninformed thought life, which adds classical, innocent joy from his birth to the conclusion.  Sunny is born with a club foot.  Uncle Elijah builds a twisting box for therapeutic straightening of the foot.  The entire clan shares Ali's agony, watching helpless as her baby suffers.  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eElijah's wife is barren from too much cattle driving and horse riding as a child, therefore, he brings several orphans into the clan.  Having been raised  in a household of twenty-one children, he cannot function well without sibling rivalry and bonding.  On a trip to Savannah, promoting his Elijah treasure chest-coffins he obtains custody of a criminal's children, thus enters GEORGE, into the clan family-fabric.  George becomes one of Sunny's protector-benefactors.  Elijah's wife, HOWDY, develops a jealous battle between herself and sister-in-law.  The family squabble results in ROWDY becoming a paraplegiate.  Rowdy's invalid state affords opportunity to teach forgiveness, patience and tenacity.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThomas takes Ali and Sunny shopping in Savannah.  The gala mood ends in tragedy when Sunny gets lost from Daddy at the Savannah Zoo.  The helpless anxiety of losing a child pervades the episode.  Unknown to the parents, a vagrant child tries caring for Sunny, resulting in much pathetic comedy.   The new caretaker, GOOBER, also loses Sunny on one of their many rollicking jaunts.  However, Goober in his persistence, rescues Sunny, and after many near death situations, returns him to his mother, who thinks a guardian angel has returned her baby.  Then, Ali loses and rescues Sunny.  Before leaving Savannah, the orphan, Goober, is convinced to join the family as Sunny's guardian.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eElijah's half-Indian orphan son, George and Goober bond immediately and make it their covenant for life to care for the two year old Sunny and train him in the things boys need to know.  In a failed 'coon hunt the three inseparables inherit three baby raccoons, the shenanigans of which bring constant havoc into Ali's life.  The entire family ends up in the deep water-well with the undisciplined 'coons.  Ali takes opportunity in the horrible situation to bring George and Goober into the faith, insuring the family circle will not be broken beyond the horizon of this present distress.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThomas and Goober leave the pastoral paradise headed for Savannah to buy supplies for the families of Cousins, Georgia.  Chasing rainbows on a diversion, they are personally entangled in a world-class sulky race.  Because of Goober's 'coon's infatuation with a colorful rooster, the race becomes anarchy.  The winner, Mona Lisa, driven by Goober's 'coon, breaks her front legs in the melee.  Thomas purchases the broken champion for peanuts and plans presenting the horse to Sunny for his third birthday.  By default the horse becomes Rowdy's means of  recovery.   \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAli's second birthing brings about the grandiose, crescendo finale of an emotionally charged, surprise ending, which makes Salt Lick one read that will never be forgotten.  Objectives of the book are accomplished, the reader must vicariously deal with right and wrong attitudes concerning old fashioned virtues and ethics.  The cousins' story shows the superior quality of the age of innocence and discovery in opposition to modern permissive, undisciplined experimentation, which squelches the mystery of romantic love from an unselfish heart, the magic of discovery as opposed to aggressive conquering.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Xlibris Corporation","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47167012307184,"sku":"9781465319999","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781465319999_p0.jpg?v=1763683213","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781465319999","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}