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Addie Pray / Joe David Brown
(more recently published as Paper Moon)
Click here to check for availability at AFPLS

This 1971 novel was the inspiration for the Peter Bogdanovich movie Paper Moon. Eleven-year-old Addie and her maybe-father “Long Boy” Moses Pray crisscross the Deep South “ramifying” (scamming) people during the Great Depression. Addie’s street smarts and perceived girlish innocence, along with Long Boy’s cleverness and shrewd business acumen build their operation until they are dealing in millions.

The movie remained pretty true to the first half of the book (though it moved the location from Alabama to Kansas), but the adventures continue far beyond where the movie left off. The decades haven’t dimmed the magic of this rollicking adventure, either in the film or the book. ©Ken Vesey, 17 June 2010

Comments

  1. wclaspyJune 17, 2010 at 8:25 AM

    We love the movie (as well as another early-70s Bogdanovich work, "What's Up Doc"). I'll have to check out the book!

    ReplyDelete
  2. KenJune 17, 2010 at 9:44 AM

    I rewatched them both recently. I remember loving What's Up Doc when I saw it years ago, but not so much this time. I think it's Madeline Kahn who makes that movie.

    ReplyDelete

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