Mack Mangham bases new novel on pipe-laying friend

By Rose Hooper

Mack Mangham is glad he finally pulled out the box he stashed way back in his closet for seven years.

He converted the pages inside the box into a novel, just published by iUniverse Inc. Mangham will sign copies of his latest release, "Who Will Tie Your Shoes?" at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.

Although it's a work of fiction, the book is based on the true-life story of his friend who traveled the country laying pipe lines.

"I hadn't seen this guy in years; we'd parted ways, then suddenly I received an e-mail from him wanting to know about that book I was writing about him," said Mangham, who lives in Balsam.

"I'd put it aside 'cause I wasn't really pleased with it, so I just stashed it in my closet until he prodded me to finish it," he said. "He wanted to show it to his daughter and granddaughter. When his wife told me he was dying of cancer, I dropped everything to work on his book.

"It was over 500 pages; I'd forgotten what a monster it was," Mangham said. "As I started typing it on the computer, I cut it immensely. It was a great exercise in editing," said the author.

Mangham titled the book after an old North Carolina folk song "He's gone away for to stay a little while, But he's comin' back if he goes 10,000 miles, Oh, who will tie your shoes? And who will glove your hands? And who will kiss your ruby lips when I am gone? Oh, it's pappy'll tie my shoes."

Roan, the main character based on Mangham's friend, tries to live an honorable life but is surrounded by dishonorable people. Mangham shows how difficult it is for Roan to be a dependable person and how he tries to teach others about dependability and responsibility.

But readers will meet some of the sorriest, least likeable characters in Roan's world, including his beautiful young wife, Kannon, who disappoints him, and the readers, at every junction.

"Honey," he tells his rebel of a wife, "you can't go around in the world just thinking of yourself, doing whatever you want to do. You have to think of others and their rights."

Readers might think that Paulette, the voo-doo woman, springs from Mangham's imagination, but actually she is a real person, according to the author. Her curses and spells cause the reader to wonder if the wicked things happen naturally or because of Paulette's elixirs of evil.

Mangham's character Buddy embodies the evils alcohol rages on a too-handsome, too-charming, has-it-too-easy-with-the-ladies man.

Only Roan remains the steadfast "good guy" in this book where most of the characters represent depressing, disgusting elements of life.

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