The Man Who Owned Vermont - by Bret Lott (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

When Rick Wheeler's wife walks out on him, he nearly drowns in despair. So the RC Cola salesman throws himself into work -- setting sales records, winning a promotion, burying himself in the lonely present while he scours the past for hope. Then at last on a cold Vermont morning, a hunter and his prey show him unexpectedly, haltingly, the way back to love and faith.

Review Quotes

Columbus Dispatch Fully realized and memorable....Anyone who picks up this book will be moved.

Los Angeles Times Engrossing...one of the most interesting stories of the sadness of American men.

Publishers Weekly Snares the reader in the very first sentence...a gripping novel that rings true with uncommon resonance....affecting.

The New York Times Book Review Subtle...powerful...with a profound understanding of the precarious condition called marriage.

The New York Times The Man Who Owned Vermont is a moving first novel....Bret Lott knows how ordinary people work and love...how intractable human feelings can be...and he shows us, as well, the redemptive powers of love.

Time Recommended Fiction A vivid example of mind and spirit grappling with oppressive fates.

Barry Hannah author of Airships and Hey Jack! Bret Lott is a superb writer. The Man Who Owned Vermont has a deep and truthful message.

Josephine Humphreys author of Dreams of Sleep and Rich In Love An extraordinary book...full of surprises. Bret Lott is a talent to be reckoned with.

Phillip Lopate author of The Rug Merchant Beautifully written, quietly thrilling, exemplary in its compassion...a stunning debut.

James Atlas A powerful and poignant tale...About work and marriage and the ways we betray -- and redeem -- ourselves....Impressive.

About the Author

Bret Lott is the author of five highly acclaimed novels, The Man Who Owned Vermont, A Stranger's House, Jewel, Reed's Beach, and The Hunt Club, as well as two collections of widely anthologized short stories, A Dream of Old Leaves and How to Get Home, and a memoir, Fathers, Sons, and Brothers. He lives with his wife and two sons near Charleston, South Carolina, and teaches at the College of Charleston and Vermont College.