Confessions of a Knight Errant #NewRelease @LoneStarLit

Published on by Jan Sikes
 
CONFESSIONS OF
A KNIGHT ERRANT
by Gretchen McCullough
 
Humorous Fiction
Publisher: Cune Press
Page Count: 240 pages
Publication Date: October 18, 2022
 
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Confessions of a Knight Errant is a comedic, picaresque novel in the tradition of Don Quixote with a flamboyant cast of characters.

Dr. Gary Watson is the picaro, a radical environmentalist and wannabe novelist who has been accused of masterminding a computer hack that wiped out the files of a major publishing company. His Sancho Panza is Kharalombos, a fat, gluttonous Greek dancing teacher, who is wanted by the secret police for cavorting with the daughter of the Big Man of Egypt.

Self-preservation necessitates a hurried journey to the refuge of a girls’ camp in rural Texas. Then a body turns up nearby that is connected to Middle East antiquities, and they are on the run once more.

 
 
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Gretchen McCullough was raised in Harlingen Texas. After graduating from Brown University in 1984, she taught in Egypt, Turkey, and Japan. She earned her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Alabama and was awarded a teaching Fulbright to Syria from 1997-1999.
 
Her stories, essays and reviews have appeared in The Barcelona Review, Archipelago, National Public Radio, Story South, Guernica, The Common, The Millions, and the LA Review of Books. Translations in English and Arabic have been published in: Nizwa, Banipal, Brooklyn Rail in Translation, World Literature Today, and Washington Square Review with Mohamed Metwalli. Her bilingual book of short stories in English and Arabic, Three Stories From Cairo, translated with Mohamed Metwalli, was published in July 2011 by AFAQ Publishing House, Cairo. A collection of short stories about expatriate life in Cairo, Shahrazad’s Tooth, was also published by AFAQ in 2013.
 
Currently, she is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Rhetoric and Composition at the American University in Cairo.
 
 
 
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In Confessions of a Knight Errant, readers get a taste of the Hill Country. One winner will, too, with a one-pound bag of pecans from Berdoll Pecan Candy & Gift Company!
(US only; ends midnight, CST 4/28/23)
 

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This book has a hodgepodge of eclectic characters and settings that kept me turning the pages just to find out what debacle would occur next.

Dr. Gary Watson is a college professor with an innate passion for the environment. He’s dedicated years of his life to writing about the pollution of the Nile River. But now, he’s on the Interpol wanted list for sabotage, and he must travel incognito to avoid arrest. He is the narrator of this tale.

The story opens with him and his friend, Kharalombos, a fat, gluttonous Greek dancing teacher, arriving in Cairo, Egypt, on a mission. It seems that Dr. Watson’s manuscript, his life’s work, is missing, and the only backup copy on a flash drive was lost when he dropped it down an elevator shaft. There is only one hard copy left, and it is in Cairo. Kharalombos just wants to see his son, Nunu, conceived after an affair with the daughter of the ruler of Egypt.

The opening scene at the Cairo airport sets the tone for the rest of the book. A German lady, Gudrun, and her traveling companion arrive at the same time as Watson and Kharalombos. But there is no transport to be found. There is a revolution in Egypt, and the city is on lockdown. The immediate attraction between Gudrun and Kharalombos had me laughing.

Outrageous situations, scenes, and characters appear throughout this book. Add a cast of animals to the scenarios, and you have nothing short of total chaos at times. I would have a hard time picking a favorite character, but Kharalombos is definitely unforgettable.

From Cairo, Egypt, to a Christian summer camp in Schulenberg, Texas, the story escalates and intertwines. At times I wondered how the author would connect all the dots, but she does, and the story draws to a satisfactory conclusion.

If you are looking for a story designed for pure entertainment, with an array of characters and settings, with a few laughs along the way, you will enjoy this book, as I did.

29 thoughts on “Confessions of a Knight Errant #NewRelease @LoneStarLit”

  3. This sounds like a fun book, Jan. Thanks for sharing your review and the synopsis. Congratulations to Gretchen. I wish her all the best! 😊

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  5. This book sounds hilarious, Jan. I liked your description: “…you have nothing short of total chaos at times. ” My tbr pile is making me anxious right now, but I wishlisted this one on Amazon.” Congrats to Gretchen on the wonderful review.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  11. Oh, this sounds postively delightful, and a book I would enjoy reading. I loved your review, Jan! I did hop over to Amazon but it appears to only be available in paperback. Do you know if a Kindle verison is coming, or did I overlook something?

    Thanks for bringing this entertaining novel to our attention. Definitely adding to my read list!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. So far, it is only available in paperback. This author is living in Cairo, Egypt, right now, and I don’t know the logistics of getting it into Kindle. I’m glad it grabbed your attention, and if I learn of it being made available on Kindle, will let you know. Thank you for visiting!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

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