her life, she looks for love else where. Men love her body, and she loves the control this gives her. "Josie [sees] now that there [is] nothingshe [can't] do with [men] (49)." She takes men's money and does with it as she pleases. She"[takes] the bus to a town across the border where she [sits] on her own in a cafe listening to ajukebox and eating ice-creams (51)." Soon, however, this path leads to destruction. Her whole lifebecomes devoted to drinking alcohol and pleasing men. She is disgusted with what she has becomeand tries to blot out her pitiful life with alcohol. She sees how awful her life is when "The protectionof the drink and the drugs [begin] to wear off (145)." The only good influence in Josie's life is herlone friend Sadie. In the end, though, not even this makes a difference. An overdose of pills mixedwith alcohol kills Josie before Sadie can reach her. McCabe is very pessimistic, and he gives thisquality to his characters. Little by little, as the book progresses, Josie looses her mind. The authorallows the reader to see Josie's thoughts, which aides in understanding a demented person. Theeffects of abuse, sexual exploitation, and alcohol are seen in Josie's character. The reader feels pitytoward Josie and the outcome of her life. McCabe does an excellent job of characterizing JosieKeenan.The character of Sadie Rooney is also a sad and hopeless one. McCabe relates the readerto Sadie through stories of Sadie's childhood dreams. When she was a child "...she loved ElvisPresley. She would have gone anywhere with him... (23)." Readers can identify with Sadie's love ofmovie starrs and desire for a better life. As her life progresses, however, her hopes are dashedwhen she becomes pregnant and must raise a family in the town she hates, Carn. When she learnsof her pregnancy, she "[feels] nothing" and says, "That's it then (115)." She is bitter, yet resigned tothe fact that nothing she planned ever came to ...
