Up and Down
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- $13.99
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
The author of the Stephen Leacock Medal-winning The Best Laid Plans brings his trademark humour and sharp storytelling to a new novel set in the high-stakes world of a global public relations agency.
On his first day at Turner King, David Stewart quickly realizes that the world of international PR (affectionately, perhaps ironically, known as "the dark side") is a far cry from his previous job on Parliament Hill. For one, he missed the office memo on the all-black dress code; for another, there are enough acronyms and jargon to make his head spin. Before he even has time to find the washroom, David is assigned a major project: devise a campaign to revitalize North America's interest in the space program - maybe even show NASA's pollsters that watching a shuttle launch is more appealing than going out for lunch with friends. The pressure is on, and before long, David finds himself suggesting the most out-of-this-world idea imaginable: a Citizen Astronaut lottery that would send one Canadian and one American to the International Space Station. Suddenly, David's vaulted into an odyssey of his own, navigating the corporate politics of a big PR agency; wading through the murky but always hilarious waters of Canada-U.S. relations; and trying to hold on to his new job while still doing the right thing.
Equal parts clever and satirical, thoughtful and affecting, Up and Down is Terry Fallis at his best, confirming his status as a Canadian literary star.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The wait has been worth it for Terry Fallis fans: his third novel has already earned a well-deserved spot on the shortlist for the 2013 Leacock Medal, Canada's most prominent award for humor writing. The book's narrator David Stewart has left his comfy job in Ottawa in order to support his sister and help care for his terminally ill mother. He is able to parlay his experience working with the Ministry of Science and Technology into a position with "TK," an edgy Toronto Public Relations firm with its head office in Washington. On his first day on the job, much to the annoyance of his new colleagues, David blurts out an off-the-wall idea that eventually wins a public relations contract with NASA. The space agency is looking for a way to "rekindle the public's passion for space flight." David's idea of running a contest to send a citizen up to the space station to be a part of the mission is a hit, but then there is problem of actually making it happen. Along the way, David shares his hilarious observations as he leads readers through the mystifying worlds of public relations, government procedure and polit-ical doublespeak. Distribution: Random House
