Ohio
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4.0 • 224 Ratings
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
“Extraordinary...beautifully precise...[an] earnestly ambitious debut.” —The New York Times Book Review
“A wild, angry, and devastating masterpiece of a book.” —NPR
“[A] descendent of the Dickensian ‘social novel’ by way of Jonathan Franzen: epic fiction that lays bare contemporary culture clashes, showing us who we are and how we got here.” —Oprah Daily
“A book that has stayed with me ever since I put it down.” —Seth Meyers, host of Late Night with Seth Meyers
One sweltering night in 2013, four former high school classmates converge on their hometown in northeastern Ohio.
There’s Bill Ashcraft, a passionate, drug-abusing young activist whose flailing ambitions have taken him from Cambodia to Zuccotti Park to post-BP New Orleans, and now back home with a mysterious package strapped to the undercarriage of his truck; Stacey Moore, a doctoral candidate reluctantly confronting her family and the mother of her best friend and first love, whose disappearance spurs the mystery at the heart of the novel; Dan Eaton, a shy veteran of three tours in Iraq, home for a dinner date with the high school sweetheart he’s tried desperately to forget; and the beautiful, fragile Tina Ross, whose rendezvous with the washed-up captain of the football team triggers the novel’s shocking climax.
Set over the course of a single evening, Ohio toggles between the perspectives of these unforgettable characters as they unearth dark secrets, revisit old regrets and uncover—and compound—bitter betrayals. Before the evening is through, these narratives converge masterfully to reveal a mystery so dark and shocking it will take your breath away.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Journalist Stephen Markley's debut novel explores the Rust Belt’s real-world ills: unemployment, foreclosures, the working class's deflated dreams. Set in the fictional New Canaan, Ohio, the story centers around Bill Ashcroft, who revisits his hometown a decade after 9/11. He finds all his old friends somehow damaged—by drugs, the Iraq war, or simply their own bleak prospects. Bill himself is an emotionally wounded idealist with a penchant for self-medicating; the further we follow him, the more ill-advised his homecoming seems. Markley’s vivid details and sharp insights will resonate with anyone interested in the state of the Union.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In Markley's standout debut novel (following nonfiction works Publish This Book and Tales of Iceland), four former high school classmates return to their Ohio hometown to make amends. Once a bastion of steel-mill industry, New Canaan has been corroded by economic downturn and opiates; it's pervaded by a sense of disillusionment shared by the four, whose rudderless adult lives pale alongside the blinding lights of their adolescence. Over the course of one night interlaced with high school flashbacks the four settle old scores and uncover some of the town's nefarious secrets. There's Bill Ashcraft, who drives into town to deliver a package to a familiar recipient; Stacey Moore, a doctoral candidate who's sucked into the mystery of her former lover's disappearance; veteran Dan Eaton, who returns from Afghanistan with a prosthetic eyeball and emotional wounds; and Tina Ross, who confronts a violent part of her past. As the night progresses, the long-buried truth behind a horrifying town legend takes shape, offering a window into the raw forces that shape the town and its residents. Markley's novel is alternately disturbing and gorgeous, providing a broad view of the anxieties of a post-9/11 Middle America and the complexities of the humans who navigate them.
Customer Reviews
Haunting, beautiful language
I sometimes got lost in the narrative and had to search to remember who was who but the language and the visions it evoked was gorgeous. I’ll remember this book for a long time.
Tragic story but magnificent writing!
The gore and cruelty of the storyline kept me from rating it a 5. But the prose was eloquent, descriptive and emotion provoking. There were no redeeming, heroic characters…maybe one, Dan Eaton. A page turner and I truly hope it is not based on any truth…
Wonderful novel!
I initially was skeptical about this book. But after reading a portion of his new book, “The Deluge”, I decided to get this a go. It is generally pretty slow as it builds momentum and anticipation to the climax of the story. I highly recommend this book for individuals looking for a wonderfully encapsulated story with immense details and dialogue. Since the entire book covers 1 night, you get to understand the depth of intention and research Steven did to complete this book. Highly recommend!!!