The Manager of the B. & A.: A Novel

"The Manager of the B. & A.: A Novel" by Vaughan Kester is a story about Dan Oakley, who takes on the tough job of managing the Buckhom and Antioch Railroad, a line known as the Huckleberry, at a time when selling the railroad seems more likely than saving it. Oakley's life gets even more complicated when his father, Roger Oakley, a former convict, reappears after being in prison for twenty years. The story starts in the railroad office on a wet day, where the quiet mood is broken by Oakley waiting for a young worker named Clarence to come back. We soon see that Oakley is good at his job and works hard, but he can't escape the shadow of his father's past. Through Oakley's interactions with people like editor Griff Ryder, the novel touches upon the social and political climate of the town of Antioch. The novel's opening moments suggest that the story centers around family responsibilities, trying to make things right, and the hard road to success when burdened with one's history.