About this item
Highlights
- Estranged for decades after a turbulent 1969 summer spent with a free-spirited redhead, two brothers are forced by a shocking reminder to confront the past events that divided them.
- Author(s): Ron Rash
- 240 Pages
- Fiction + Literature Genres, Family Life
Description
About the Book
Estranged for decades after a turbulent 1969 summer spent with a free-spirited redhead, two brothers are forced by a shocking reminder to confront the past events that divided them.Book Synopsis
Estranged for decades after a turbulent 1969 summer spent with a free-spirited redhead, two brothers are forced by a shocking reminder to confront the past events that divided them.From the Back Cover
While swimming in a creek on a hot Sunday in 1969, sixteen-year-old Eugene and his older brother, Bill, meet Ligeia. A rebellious teenager banished to their small North Carolina town, she entrances the two brothers, eventually luring them into a struggle that reveals the hidden differences in their natures.
Eugene, falling under Ligeia's spell, grows further and further apart from his brother. When Ligeia vanishes as suddenly as she appeared, the growing rift between the two boys becomes immutable.
Decades later, the once-close brothers now lead completely different lives. Bill is a gifted and successful surgeon, while Eugene is a failed writer and determined alcoholic.
When a shocking reminder of the past unexpectedly surfaces, Eugene is forced to remember that fateful summer and the girl he cannot forget. The deeper he delves into his memories, the closer he comes to finding the truth. But can Eugene's recollections be trusted? And will the truth set him free and offer salvation, or destroy his damaged life and everyone he loves?
Review Quotes
"Rash captures the gritty realities of modern Appalachia with mournful precision. . . . Beneath the surface, the novel contemplates more timeless questions about human frailty, the divinity of nature and the legacies of our native landscapes." -- Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"So well-crafted that it reads like poetry. . . . Waterfall will leave the reader pondering the imponderables of life - and grateful, as Rash portrays, in being witness to life's beauties, even while surrounded by hardship." -- Jackson Clarion-Ledger
"A quick-paced, slender novel that captures the imperfections of how we all are, our weaknesses, our biases, our prejudices, and then, in times of stress and anxiety, if and how we emerge from those troubles with our morals intact." -- Minneapolis Star Tribune
"Many have labeled [Rash] a Southern writer or an Appalachian writer, but those terms are deceptive. Rash's characters are certainly connected to their landscape, but, as with any work that transcends, Rash brings the reader to the universal human concerns inside the particular details." -- Electric Literature
Rash pulls the reader in with an element of suspense injected into his astute exploration of the clash of cultures, past and present. -- Booklist
"The Risen is an important novel - and an intriguing one - from one of our master storytellers. In its pages, the past rises up, haunting and chiding, demanding answers of us all." -- Raleigh News & Observer
"A beautiful piece of craftsmanship...I've long thought Ron Rash as good as any contemporary American novelist I've read. This lovely and disturbing book confirms that opinion." -- Wall Street Journal
"Compelling... Rash, as always, has an absolutely sure sense of place... He is a riveting storyteller, ably heightening the tension between the story's past and present... A story about control, evil and the nature of power -- both to save and to kill." -- Washington Post