Marvel and a Wonder
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- 329,00 Kč
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- 329,00 Kč
Publisher Description
A boy and his grandfather hunt for a stolen horse in this novel “evoking William Faulkner and Cormac McCarthy” (Booklist).
Longlisted for the American Library Association’s Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction
In the summer of 1995, Jim Falls, a Korean War vet, struggles to raise his sixteen-year-old mixed-race grandson, Quentin, on a farm in southern Indiana. In July, they receive a mysterious gift—a beautiful quarter horse—which upends the balance of their difficult lives. The horse’s appearance catches the attention of a pair of troubled, meth-dealing brothers and, after a violent altercation, the horse is stolen and sold. Grandfather and grandson must travel the landscape of the bleak heartland to reclaim the animal and to confront the ruthless party that has taken possession of it. Along the way, both will be forced to face the misperceptions and tragedies of their past.
“A vivid portrait of Heartland America . . . I’ve long been an admirer of Joe Meno’s work, and this is his most ambitious book yet.” —Dan Chaon, New York Times–bestselling author of Ill Will
“[Meno] has a knack for giving small happenings emotional weight. . . . Meno knows how to make you love his characters, want what they want. But don’t think he’s going to let things turn out well for them. Marvels and wonders aren’t worth the trouble. Fortunately, this book is.” —The New York Times Book Review
“It’s at once a story about two people and an exploration of the past, present, and future of the country. . . . As the fate of the horse, of Jim Falls, of Quentin—of America!—becomes more perilous, the book picks up speed. The story is operating on different levels—as a family story, an epic, and in the end a page-turner—but they remain skillfully balanced.” —Chicago Reader
“A wise and touching novel of love, loyalty, courage; an extraordinary book not to be missed.” —Library Journal
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The latest by Meno (Office Girl) is a compelling mash-up of magic and the absurd with the grittiness of a world inhabited by punks, thieves, and losers, as a grandfather and his grandson take a road trip through 1990s rural America in search of their stolen horse. The novel opens with the ne'er-do-well daughter of Jim Falls, a Korean War veteran, abandoning him and her 16-year-old son, Quentin, and breaking their hearts. As Falls struggles to raise his grandson on his rural Indiana farm in devastating poverty, while battling his personal demons, he receives a mysterious gift: a pure white quarter horse that immediately gives Jim and Quentin hope for the future. The horse attracts the attention of two troubled meth-dealing brothers, who steal the animal in a violent altercation, only to lose the animal to an even more vicious criminal. As Jim and Quentin drive through a desolate landscape of small-town America in pursuit of their stolen horse, scenes of the two alternate with scenes of the criminals they're pursuing. This is a provocative reflection on the lives of the disenfranchised in the waning days of the 20th century, with a bittersweet resolution that will resonate with readers.