Marvel And A Wonder: A Novel

Marc Notes: In summer 1995, Jim Falls, a Korean War vet, struggles to raise his sixteen-year-old 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. Biographical Note: Joe Meno is a fiction writer and playwright who lives in Chicago. He is the winner of the Nelson Algren Literary Award, a Pushcart Prize, the Great Lakes Book Award, and a finalist for the Story Prize. He is the editor of "Chicago Noir: The Classics" and the author of two short story collections and multiple novels including the best sellers "Hairstyles of the Damned" and "The Boy Detective Fails"; "Office Girl"; and his latest novel, "Marvel and a Wonder." He is a professor in the Department of Creative Writing at Columbia College Chicago. Publisher Marketing: "Evoking William Faulkner and Cormac McCarthy, Meno's suspenseful, mordantly incisive, many-layered tale can also be read as an equine "Moby-Dick." As he tracks the bewildering seismic shifts under way in America, Meno celebrates everyday marvels, including the hard-proven love between grandfather and grandson."--"Booklist," Starred review "Faulkner-ian epic for the contemporary age....[Meno] draws on the grave themes and austere styles of writers like Cormac McCarthy and Daniel Woodrell to offer a mix of biblical allegories, tinder-dry prose, and noble characters trying to survive in a wretched world.... The novel's prose is marvelous is its spare, convincing grit while the story's themes of family, redemption, sacrifice, and faith echo the plays of Sam Shepard at times.... A grandiose, atmospheric portrait of Middle America in all its damaged glory."--"Kirkus Reviews" "The latest by Meno 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.... 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."--"Publishers Weekly" "Winner of the Discover Great New Writers Award and the Nelson Algren Award, among other honors, Meno can be entertainingly outre. This story of a man and his grandfather hunting for their stolen horse is also affecting."--"Library Journal," Barbara Hoffert's Prepub Alert ""Marvel and a Wonder" is such a tender love story. The love of an irascible grandfather for his baffling grandson; the love for a mysterious horse; the love for a country that no longer seems to love us back. Joe Meno writes with poise and wit and stunning amounts of empathy. What a beautiful story. What a lovely book."--Victor LaValle, author of "The Devil in Silver" "Both sprawling and intimate, "Marvel and a Wonder" is a vivid portrait of Heartland America, and infuses its array of characters with humor, empathy, and insight. I've long been an admirer of Joe Meno's work, and this is his most ambitious book yet."--Dan Chaon, author of "Await Your Reply" Praise for Joe Meno: "A beguiling and slyly disquieting storyteller... Meno transforms wintery Chicago into a wondrous crystallization of countless dreams and tragedies, while telling the stories of two derailed young artists...poignant and funny."--"Kansas City Star "on "Office Girl" "The wisest, most humane and transcendent novel on the contemporary family since "The Corrections.".. A marvelous book."--Irvine Welsh on "The Great Perhaps" "Marvel and a Wonder" is a darkly mesmerizing epic and literary page-turner set at the end of the twentieth century. In summer 1995, Jim Falls, a Korean War vet, struggles to raise his sixteen-year-old 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. Evoking the writing of William Faulkner and Denis Johnson, this brilliant, deeply moving work explores the harrowing, often beautiful marvels of a nation challenged by its own beliefs. Ambitious, expansive, and laden with suspense, "Marvel and a Wonder" presents an unforgettable pair of protagonists at the beginning of one America and the end of another." Review Citations: Kirkus Reviews 05/15/2015 pg. 17 (EAN 9781617753947, Paperback) Kirkus Reviews 07/01/2015 pg. 27 (EAN 9781617753947, Paperback) Kirkus Reviews 05/15/2015 pg. 17 (EAN 9781617753930, Hardcover) Kirkus Reviews 07/01/2015 (EAN 9781617753930, Hardcover) Publishers Weekly 07/13/2015 (EAN 9781617753930, Hardcover) Contributor Bio:  Meno, Joe Winner of a Nelson Algren Award, a Pushcart Prize, and a finalist for the 2008 Story Prize, Joe Meno has written two short story collections and four novels, including Hairstyles of the Damned and The Great Perhaps. He teaches creative writing at Columbia College in Chicago.