Meely LaBauve - by Ken Wells (Paperback)

About the Book

Now in paperback comes the zesty Cajun coming-of-age novel that introduces "one of the most compelling voices in fiction of the last decade" ("Los Angeles Times"). An American Library Association/YALSA best book of the year.

Book Synopsis

Fifteen-year-old Meely LaBauve is growing up on Catahoula Bayou and living by his wits. Not since Huck Finn rafted down the Mississippi has there been a coming-of-age story like this, told in such an utterly authentic unlettered American voice. From a charming encounter with first love in the Canciennes' corn patch to an adventurous paddle through wild and timeless places little explored, Ken Wells has cooked up a zesty gumbo of a book--rich, poignant, and often hilarious.

* An American Library Association/YALSA best book of the year

Review Quotes

"Do yourself a favor and become acquainted with Emile LaBauve... a cross between Huck Finn & Oliver Twist, with south Louisiana accent and a backwoods attitude... There's a major talent at work here."
--The Denver Post

"[A] short and expert first novel... not only funny but infused with Wells's deep love of Cajun patois."
--The New York Times Book Review

"[An] endearing debut"
--The Washington Post Book World

"Wells makes a lively fiction debut with this affectionate slice of Louisiana bayou life... Meely's Cajun-spiced charisma never flags."
--Entertainment Weekly

"[Meely is] a cross between Huck Finn and Oliver Twist, which a South Louisiana accent and a backwoods attitude....There's a major talent at work here."
--Booklist

"Often laugh-out-loud funny [but] Wells has carved a sincere and courageous portrait of a boy becoming a man."
--Bookpage

About the Author

Ken Wells is a senior writer and features editor for page one of The Wall Street Journal. In 1982, he was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for The Miami Herald. He lives with his family outside Manhattan.