Spotted Palm Desert, California, in Duma Key. Not in a positive note, though. Seems the books protagonist, Edgar, isn't too fond of the place. That interested me, since we often go to Palm Desert -- and never caught the image King paints.
Pam's father was a retired Marine. He and his wife had relocated to Palm Desert, California, in the last year of the twentieth century, settling in one of those gated communities where there's one token African-American couple and four token Jewish couples. Children and vegetarians are not allowed. Residents must vote Republican and own small dogs with rhinestone collars, stupid eyes, and names that end in i.That's funny! I have no idea if it is true, since I have never been in a gated community in Palm Desert. There are an awful lot of golf courses though -- never been to any of those, either. We just go to the mall.
The must vote Republican line and no vegetarians caught my attention. Seriously. . . all of the Palm Springs area is pretty liberal; I suspected even the gated communities out toward Palm Desert are littered with Obama bumper stickers. It's all very alternative lifestyle friendly -- in fact, nearby Cathedral City even has purple lamp posts. It's certainly no Orange County of the 80s - 90s, which was California's conservative fortress.
I wonder what kind of retired Marine can retire in a gated community in Palm Desert. The dude must have been upper brass! It work, because 29 Palms is down the road, and that is the biggest Marine base (land wise) in the world. Marines like it because it's a live fire base; meaning they get to use big guns, bombs and everything else out there.
Given the choice between Duma Key or Palm Desert, I think I also would choose Duma Key. I like it when California pops up in King novels.
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