In James Anderson’s Lullaby Road, we ride along with Ben Jones, a short-haul trucker delivering water and propane to desert rats that live way too far from Wal-Mart. Ben’s route takes him past the Stop-n-Gone Truck Stop, then the Never-Open Desert Diner, and on to the gullies and ghost towns dotting Utah’s emptiest acres.

If the landmarks in this novel are quirky, the characters are quirkier yet. They include a crazy preacher, and a few matrons willing to provide a sandwich and even babysitting when Ben gets in a bind. (Note: Ben doesn’t have a baby.) Mostly, the cast of Lullaby Road are folks who live “the roadless, dead-end life with a kind of fierce passion for isolation.”

Ben himself is a heroic rescuer of troubled souls. He’s also a man with a history. When he walks into the ER, the doctors freeze, wondering what might get broken this time.

Add in ice, snow, wind and some uncommon cargo, and Ben just keeps rolling into trouble.

The witty dialogue and the unique setting are enough for me to overlook a few too many characters with a few too many quirks, as well as a strained plot twist or two.

Frequent language cow patties.

Photo from Snappa.com