Heading Out to Wonderful: Book summary and reviews of Heading Out to Wonderful by Robert Goolrick

Heading Out to Wonderful Summary

In Heading Out to Wonderful, an attractive and enigmatic stranger - Charlie Beale, a loner, recently home from World War II in Europe - wanders into the town of Brownsburg, a sleepy village of only a few hundred people nestled in the Valley of Virginia. He brings with him two suitcases: one contains all his worldly possessions, including a set of butcher's knives; the other is full of money.

Charlie quickly finds a job at the local butcher shop and through his work there meets all the townspeople, most notably Sam Haislett, the five-year-old son of the shop's owner, and Sylvan Glass, the beautiful, eccentric teenage bride of the town's richest man. What no one anticipates is how the interaction of these three people will alter the town forever, and how the passion that flares between Charlie and Sylvan will mark young Sam for life.

Told through the eyes of Sam, now an older man looking back on that time, Heading Out to Wonderland is an exciting, erotically charged, and altogether unforgettable story of love gone terribly wrong in a place where once upon a time such things could happen.

Bazooka tree (2 responses)
The Bazooka tree was a unique idea. Kids would love that. Great during a party. However, adults must make sure the games in a party or activities for kids are safe. When the gum was put up so high in the tree encouraging Sam to climb to get... - terri

Before Sylvan and Charlie get together, you know they are fated to be together; what keeps the pages turning in this electric buildup? (6 responses)
I like to follow a story when you need to experience the build up of a relationship. It is more real to me and a much better reading experience. - laurieh

Coming to terms with life's compromises (5 responses)
In life many people remain in "All Right" on the way to "Wonderful." Rather reminds me of an old Peggy Lee song which laments the question: Is that all there is? - MarieA

Does the revival of "vintage" goods hold appeal for you? Do we have a special place in our hearts for the "good old days"? (14 responses)
I love the idea of vintage goods, and stories of the good old days- both my version of the good times for me, and the stories I grew up with from my parent's generation which became a part of my vision of the past. I think its great, and we all do,... - judym

Heading Out to Wonderful (5 responses)
I enjoyed this book with its complicated characters. I appreciate that not all was as it seemed and some surprises were there for the reader to discover and marvel at. In fact, I enjoyed the book so much that I have now a copy of the author's... - Lea Ann

Heading Out to Wonderful and A Reliable Wife (3 responses)
I agree as well! I remember reading the first book and hoping that he would write again!! - laurieh

How did everyone like the ending? (14 responses)
I agree with the others, I did not see it coming. It was a little depressing, but try as I might, I cannot thinK of a better way to end it. - pennyp

How do you interpret, "Childhood is the most dangerous place of all and nobody gets past it unscarred"? (16 responses)
I think Sam was put in a situation that was unfair. As others have said, children are very trusting of adults,too bad really that we often let them down when our own needs come first - pennyp

How have things changed (or not) for small towns in America? (5 responses)
I sometimes wonder how things like Facebook and other social media have changed things in small towns. has it made things easier or more disorienting... - poornimaa

If a movie was made, who should play Charlie and Sylvan? (9 responses)
I think it would be very difficult to make this book into a movie because so much is the writing. His style is so distinctive and, for me, it really captivated me and made me want to keep reading. He sets a mood and atmosphere that would be hard... - vickio

Libraries (4 responses)
I actually liked Heading out much better than his first book. - dianes

Overall, what do you think of Heading Out to Wonderful? (36 responses)
I found it to be well written and interesting - pennyp

Violence (9 responses)
The knives were mentioned often enough, that I knew something was going to happen with them. But, I was totally shocked at what did happen at the end. - jeann

What kinds of feelings does Boaty Glass stir in you? (27 responses)
I did not like Boaty, all of his money seemed only to perpetuate his unpleasantness. - pennyp

What logistics prevent Charlie from buying up Sylvan’s parents' farm? (8 responses)
Boaty's genius clause in the marriage "contract" that said if Sylvan left him, he got her parents' land. Who knew that would have SUCH dire implications?? On one hand, I'm not sure Sylvan really wanted to be with Charlie, or that Charlie was even... - kLorene17

What role do the movies play in Sylvan’s life? (9 responses)
I think everyone is right. Sylvan needed motivation just to go on living. Such a sad life. - terri

What was the role of the church in society in those days? (11 responses)
This was the one " part" of the book that really haunted me. I had so much trouble with the hypocritical viewpoints of the townspeople (both the black and the white) and the power of the "white" church. The white hypocrisy is so sickening - I... - laureens

Who was your favorite character in the story? (20 responses)
Charlie was my favorite character. He was portrayed as human with many great qualities and some flaws (bring Sam along when he secretly met with Sylvan and encouraged him to lie about the laison as well as having an affair with a married woman).... - johnw

Why do you think Sylvan and Claudie become friends? (14 responses)
Not friends, just two people united because they were both outcasts. - pennyp

Would things have played out differently for Sylvan and Claudie if they had been men? (5 responses)
Then there wouldn't have been a story...... - MarieA

Would you like to live in Brownsburg? (12 responses)
It might be interesting to know people like those in the book but I think I would like more privacy. - dorisk

Heading Out to Wonderful Reviews

"Starred Review. Goolrick effortlessly creates a timeless, erotically charged tale of illicit passion and peoples it with a unique cast of characters, ranging from a gifted black seamstress to a country girl besotted with Hollywood movie stars and fashion. Finely crafted fiction from a captivating writer." - Booklist

"Like any good ballad, the narrative builds slowly to its violent climax, packs an emotional punch, and then haunts readers with its quintessentially American refrain." - Publishers Weekly

"Goolrick (A Reliable Wife) creates a timeless town where memory of an affair and crime can haunt forever. A lyrical yet suspenseful novel for general fiction readers." - Library Journal

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Heading Out to Wonderful Reader Reviews

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Rated of 5 by Dorothy L
A Disappointing Read
The author's first novel, A Reliable Wife, was an intriguing read. I eagerly awaited the second book by this author. Heading out to Wonderful is not the book expected. Although well written, there are many unrealistic aspects to the plot and character portrayal. Sam's character, a pivotal part of the story, was far too precocious. I could not believe in his point of view as a five year old. The characters of Sylvan and Boaty were superficially drawn. I did get a good sense of the setting which is integral to the plot. But the ending was too abrupt and unrealistic. Although I wanted to like this book, I but ultimately I found it a disappointing read.

Rated of 5 by Mary
Heading Out to Wonderful
I read A Reliable Wife (by this author) some time ago and I have been eagerly awaiting this new book. Often the "next" book does not come intrigue me quite as much as the first, but this was an exception. The beautiful, flawless use of language is the same. The setting powerfully ( a small country town) defines the characters and moves the plot forward. And there is also a wife in this book who is also unreliable. She came from way out in the country where "children had never met anyone who was not related to them,and was bought by the richest man in town, to be his wife. A dark love story unfolds after she meets Charlie Beale, the town butcher, and this book kept me turning every page. I was not prepared for the ending and I slept with the light on after I closed the book.

Rated of 5 by lorraine
Heading out to Wonderful?
I gave Robert Goolrick's second novel a 4 rating because I think his writing is fluid and detailed. However, I was not satisfied with his treatment of women characters. Sylvan in particular was shallow and easily manipulated by men. She seemed to be interested only in appearances and was unable to love anyone, including herself. It was hard to imagine her character as a real person. Charlie and Sylvan's relationship seemed based primarily on sexual satisfaction. I really hated the way Charlie abused his relationship with Sam, exposing him to his tawdry affair with Sylvan. The ending was dark, shocking and just a little unbelievable. As in his first novel, Goolrick seems obsessed with female characters who are manipulative and false and their lovers/husbands who become obsessed with them.

Rated of 5 by SharalynneP
Heading Out To Wonderful
I read this book in two days because I could not put it down. I loved the story especially since it didn't turn out the way I expected it would. My one negative comment is that I kept waiting to learn more about where Charlie came from, more of his past history. That being said, I really did enjoy this book and would recommend it.

Rated of 5 by AnnieH
Would We Know Wonderful If We Were in the Middle of It?
Having recently driven back and forth on I-64 and I-95 in Virginia I knew this landscape like the back of my hand. There are many areas along these highways that have not changed much since the Civil War and it was easy to be immersed in the geography of this tale. And a tale it is, one you might hear yourself as it gets handed down from one generation to the next. The location becomes a separate character and has its impact on the people of this town and those who come to live in Brownsburg.

What came to my mind was the ever present desire for some men and women to want more than their present contentment and how impossible that is to suppress as grass growing up through concrete. What that search for more means and how it affects a townful is the story told here.

Rated of 5 by Diane S.
Heading out to wonderful
As I started reading this novel I kept picturing the black and white movies I used to watch with my grandfather, the ones starring Bette Davis or June Allyson because that is the feeling and the tone that this novel sets. It opens with a chapter narrated by an man in his sixties, telling the story of what happened in this town when he was a young boy of 5 and 6. So we know from the beginning that this is not going to be a happy little novel. I was not a big fan of Goolrick's last novel but I absolutely loved this one. The prose and the descriptions are wonderfully elegant, the townspeople for the most part likable and at the same times complex. . The time period of the forties and the wholesome goodness and innocence of that time are all wonderfully related. Charlie himself, could have been any drifter albeit one with quite a bit of money, looking for a town to call his own. The tragedy, from this man's telling was such a downfall, and totally shocking to this reader, such a shame. Really did not see it coming. So many things are touched on here, black and white relations, religion, moral standards and yes an all consuming love. To be honest I will probably go back and read it again just to see what I missed and try to figure out exactly why it happened. Thought provoking novel of a time gone by and one that will engender many discussions.

...3 more reader reviews

Robert Goolrick is the author of A Reliable Wife and the acclaimed memoir The End of the World as We Know It. He lives in a small Virginia town. Visit him online at http://robertgoolrick.com.