Pontoon: A Novel of Lake Wobegon

The love-hate relationship many of us have with our hometowns makes Pontoon hit home. This humorously poignant book chronicles a handful of residents in Lake Wobegon, Keillor’s favorite fictional Midwestern town, as they deal with the death of a dynamic old lady and arrival of a woman who had the gumption to up and move to California years ago, only to return home for a commitment ceremony with her punk-ass boyfriend. Keillor’s eccentric yet real characters show how too often we let others confine us, but sometimes, they can be a source of release. As the deceased woman’s daughter prepares to cremate the body, dump the ashes into a green bowling ball and sink it to the bottom of the lake (her mother’s wishes), she learns of her mother’s secret life, one that was irreverent, love-filled and, above all, free.