TYBEE BEACHCOMBER | MAR 2019 27
BOOK
REVIEW
By Leigh Goralczyk
annica
By Jason Bible and William Sackler
We all know Jason Bible as a singer and a songwriter. Now, along with
co-author William Sackler, he has written a book called Annica, and it is
quite the page turner.
The story is centered around Aubrey and Theresa, a couple living in
rural North Georgia, slinging pills for a living. Along with their children and
extended “family,” they live in a nice home and get by pretty well, albeit
illegally. There is no shortage of customers and they have mastered a plan
that seems fairly foolproof.
The family dynamic is unusual, to say the least. Aubrey loves her daughter,
Crystal, more than anything. She thinks they are close. Crystal has mixed
emotions about her mother, and detests the extended “family” living in their
home. Theresa loves her son, Colton, but her mothering skills are lacking,
and her addiction to opioids does not help that situation. Manny and Amanda,
the extended “family,” are ever present as they do their jobs and their drugs.
Others come and go, some who are kind, some who are desperate and some
who just wanna get on board the opioid money train. Yet, somehow, this
dysfunctional group comes together as a family unit. I learned about their
histories and the demons they each deal with individually. It started to make
sense how they all ended up here.
Nothing lasts forever and Life can change quickly.
In this business, one can never be too careful. Even if you are, there are
no guarantees. As they carry on, as per usual, Aubrey and Theresa encounter
situations that could, and do, interfere with their business. At the same time,
things begin to unravel in their personal lives. Without giving away too much,
the fallout is dramatic, raw and far reaching. No one is immune to the pain
and destruction when all is said and done, in one way or another.
Even though the opioid crisis is a dark topic, this story brings human faces
and life situations into consideration. It made me feel empathy for the people,
even though they ultimately made their choices.
I definitely recommend the book. Once I started reading, I did not put it
down until the end.
By the way ... the accompanying CD is AWESOME! Each song on the CD
coincides with a chapter in the book. It comes alive. You can feel the soul of
the people you are reading about. It is all there - the highs and the lows. The
haunting voice in Calling 911, the happy you feel on Simple Country Folk and
ATV. The honesty is in the lyrics. Every song is awesome and makes you feel.
It is an amazing accomplishment to bring feelings to a story through song.
I enjoyed this experience so much. Thank You Jason Bible, William Sackler
(co-author), The Rights … Anna Chandler (Dude! That voice!), Joe Nelson,
Jeremy Riddle, David Williams and fellow Train Wrecks, Stuart Harmening
and Jeremy Hammons.
There are several opportunities to see a live performance of the new CD the
first weekend in March in the Savannah area and on March 3rd at the Tybee
Post Theatre! Do Not Miss This Show!
/www.riversendcampground.com