Ohio
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4.0 • 240 Ratings
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- $14.99
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
Set in Ohio’s Rust Belt, this sweeping, darkly compelling literary novel follows four former high school classmates whose return to their hometown reveals buried secrets, bitter betrayals, and the disillusionment of post-9/11 America.
One sweltering night in 2013, four former high school classmates converge on their hometown in Ohio’s Rust Belt.
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 Iraq War 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.
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!!!