PRAISE

“Like all fish tales, this is a bit of a whopper, with a comic edge, though Weeks grounds the fun in a well-realized Southeast Florida milieu, which is drawn with affectionate, lived-in detail and a spirited sense of dish, plus just enough attention to the finer points of double hauls and forward casts….[Poontown is a] fast-paced yarn about high-stakes fly fishing with an insider’s point of view.”
— Booklife by Publishers Weekly

“Whether you fish or not, you will be ‘hooked’ on this imaginative novel about a five-day championship tarpon tournament in an imaginary place based on the Florida Keys with five interesting international anglers and their home-grown guides….In the words of the author ‘tournaments expose every physical and emotional vulnerability, testing every weak link in one’s armor.’ Through Mark Weeks’ skillful imagination and reportage, this novel will also test every reader’s emotions. Poontown is a well-crafted delight that will fascinate, enlighten, and entertain.”
—Bob Rich, bestselling author of Looking Through Water, now a feature film

“On the surface, L. M. Weeks’ delightful Poontown is a thrilling look at the zaniness that goes into the preparation for, and participation in, a high-stakes fishing tournament, and all that is lost and all that is gained along the way. What lies beneath, however, is something more powerful: a portrait of human nature in a world in which the tipping point for our fisheries and ecology is nigh.” 
—Monte Burke, New York Times bestselling author of Saban, Lords of the Fly and Men of Troy

“A comic, lively and highly entertaining novel that captures the irrational obsession of one of the world’s greatest sports.”
—David Coggins, author of The Optimist: The Case for the Fly Fishing Life and The Believer: A Year in the Fly Fishing Life

“L. M. Weeks’ thrilling book, Poontown, dives into the fury of people who chase prehistoric fish, compete in tournaments, and battle the unrelenting ocean itself. A gripping exploration of obsession and passion, on and off the water.”
—Andy Mill, five-time Gold Cup Tarpon Tournament Grand Champion and author of A Passion for Tarpon

“The Real Housewives have nothing on tarpon anglers—and L. M. Weeks proves it in Poontown, a sharp, funny, and deeply authentic novel that captures the obsession, rivalries, and exhilaration of elite tarpon fishing.”
—Kat Vallilee, first woman to win the March Merkin permit fly tournament and holder of five world records

“Witty, fast-paced, and wildly entertaining, Poontown captures the obsession, rivalries, and larger-than-life personalities of the tarpon tournament world.”
—Meredith McCord, three-time Ladies Tarpon Fly Tournament Grand Champion