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The Trouble With Tom: In which five gallant old men flout the law

Eunice Banks
Outskirts Press, Inc. (2010)
ISBN 9781432751241
Reviewed by Rita Grasshoff for Rebecca’s Reads (11/10)


A rogue gang of wild turkeys invade the quiet retirement community of Whisper Wood.  They run rampant through the streets and yards, destroying property and plants and dirtying up sidewalks.  Over time, they become brave enough to even chase some of the residents!

The various citizens of Whisper Wood react differently to the intruders.  Some identify with and feed them, inadvertently encouraging their bad behavior.  Other folks are annoyed and resent their presence from the beginning.  Ultimately, most of the turkeys leave the area, but bad boy Tom remains.  Terrible Tom, as he is christened by the community members, is personified as full of himself and enjoying his perceived position of untouchable superiority in the community, not unlike that of an exasperating teenager.

Soon, Whisper Wood residents are at their wits’ end with Tom’s antics.  Their feelings of helplessness are well-developed by the author. A town meeting is called, but the results are not satisfactory to anyone. They learn that turkeys in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada are protected by the government from harm or removal. A Predation Request is submitted to the government, but bureaucratic red tape prevails and little action results. The new Whisper Wood administrator, Richard Donaldson, is hard-pressed to find a way to end Tom’s stay and save the residents from the misery Tom causes.

“Five gallant old men” decide to take matters into their own hands. Surprisingly, even though they are working toward a common cause, they are largely unaware that they are all involved in the fight.  Their characters are nicely developed by the author, who turns them into amusing older men that many readers will recognize in their own lives.  For example, one is overly talkative, stopping anyone whom he hopes will listen to him and forcing those unfortunate souls to find an excuse to leave his company.

The story line covers it all, with citizens dealing with bureaucracy and becoming creative in finding a solution.  Their frustrations with the bureaucracy force them to be secretive, even with each other, in the course of subverting the law.

Readers of all ages should enjoy the reactions and relationships of this community of spritely senior citizens in this easy-to-ready novella.