Open House

De: Donna Banta

Narrado por: Amélie Trufant Dawson

Nothing bad ever happens in the Park Cities … unless you count murder.

In September of 2000, on a single block in an elite neighborhood of Dallas, Margaret is adjusting to widowhood, an empty nest, and the onset of menopause; in the house next-door, Roy divides his free time between stuffing himself at Whataburger and challenging Margaret’s left-leaning politics; Roy’s underestimated trophy wife, Chloe, copes with full-time motherhood; meanwhile, across the street, Fletcher tends his garden and admires Margaret from afar.

But when a house on the block goes up for sale, their peaceful domain is upended by a group of concerned citizens bent on maintaining the neighborhood’s status quo.

The cast includes a conman, a former Kilgore Rangerette, a lustful ex-wife, a devout Christian with a passion for Beanie Babies, and members of a right-wing militia. Darkly comic events play out over the course of a year, heightened by gunplay, perimenopausal hot flashes, awkward sexual mishaps, and plenty of homemade explosives.

Is it any wonder somebody ends up dead?
~
Open House is about vulnerable, strong, sometimes misguided individuals struggling to adapt to change. It explores the undercurrent of beliefs and privilege that carry the seeds of violence. But at its heart is Margaret, who, armed with a sharp wit and a healthy sense of the ridiculous, navigates the societal chaos around her.

©2024 Donna Banta (P)2024 All Things That Matter Press