I just
finished reading Hadacol Boogie, the 25th in the popular Dave
Robicheaux series.
You would have to be my age before that title means anything to you, but for me, it brought back memories of my childhood in the Mississippi Delta.
Hadacol was a patented tonic invented and marketed by the famous Louisiana Cajun Senator, Dudley J. LeBlanc. It was a magic health elixir, 14% alcohol, that was supposed to cure everything from diseases to sexual dysfunction, and build strong bones and bodies.
I was a skinny eight-year-old, and my grandmother decided I needed to put on weight, so she bought a bottle of Hadacol and dosed me every morning before school – I don’t think she was aware of the alcohol content.
To my
memory, Hadacol was the nastiest thing I have ever put in my mouth, and that is
saying something.
It's interesting that the French Canadian surname "Robichaud" has become "Robicheaux" in Cajun French.
ReplyDeleteI love Burke's writing but do not want to read any more Robicheaux stories. Dave has buried multiple wives, is older than dirt, but is still working? Why isn't he out on the bayou fishing with the other geezers? And Clete. Poor Clete deserves a peaceful retirement too.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you. I told my wife this would be the last Robicheaux I read. Flashbacks to Vietnam is a horse he has beaten to death.
DeleteO'B