A fictional memoir. Except when it isn't. From a cell in Bridgeton Prison, Timothy DiAngelo looks back upon a curious life. From a '50s Texas boyhood to a '60s Santa Monica youth; from years of overland world travel to mysterious disappearances and deaths; from friendship and family to sideshow freaks, the story weaves across 35 years of changing locales and unforgettable characters - humorous, ethereal and profane - and with equal threads of both slapstick and poignancy. "My reaction when I read the final page was a visceral satisfaction. It was the same feeling I've experienced reading Charles Dickens. Ball writes with empathy and humor and an eye for detail. During our phone conversation, I teased him about possessing more talents than one man is entitled to." -- Brian Tanguay, Santa Barbara Independent. "An outstanding musician and novelist? Well, why not, given that the musician deftly evokes visual imagery with his instruments and crafts entertaining stories with his lyrics. Not surprising, then, that Tom Ball's Backstraw is a 'slow' novel to be savored, not devoured. In common with his blues lyrics, Ball's prose reveals subtle humor in the mundane and the profane. Delightful phrasing and astute scene descriptions make the reading journey as satisfying as discovering our hero's ultimate fate. I found myself enveloped in previously unfamiliar times and places as if I were there. Mystery, suspense, sadness, joy, redemption, and worldly travels that reveal heartbreaking humanity. The reader witnesses it all through the eyes of the boy maturing into the man, and of the man growing into himself. As in the physical world, characters have disappointing weaknesses and make questionable choices, and are nonetheless loveable. This fictional--except when it isn't--memoir invites one in as an intimate observer invested in what happens next. Backstraw is the captivating story of an imperfect life lived perfectly." -- Karla McKee, Goodreads. Tom Ball is a professional harmonica player, guitarist and singer who lives in Santa Barbara. He has nearly 300 CD credits and has authored five music instructional books. This is his second novel.