The Lost Saints of Tennessee, by Amy Franklin-Willis
Idea in deciding on the most effective book The Lost Saints Of Tennessee, By Amy Franklin-Willis to read this day can be gained by reading this web page. You could discover the most effective book The Lost Saints Of Tennessee, By Amy Franklin-Willis that is sold in this globe. Not only had guides published from this nation, however also the various other nations. And currently, we mean you to check out The Lost Saints Of Tennessee, By Amy Franklin-Willis as one of the reading products. This is just one of the best publications to accumulate in this site. Take a look at the web page and search guides The Lost Saints Of Tennessee, By Amy Franklin-Willis You can discover bunches of titles of the books offered.
The Lost Saints of Tennessee, by Amy Franklin-Willis
Ebook Download : The Lost Saints of Tennessee, by Amy Franklin-Willis
With enormous heart and dazzling agility, Amy Franklin-Willis expertly mines the fault lines in one Southern working-class family. Driven by the soulful voices of 42-year-old Ezekiel Cooper and his mother, Lillian, The Lost Saints of Tennessee journeys from the 1940s to 1980s as it follows Zeke's evolution from anointed son to honorable sibling to unhinged middle-aged man.
After Zeke loses his twin brother in a mysterious drowning and his wife to divorce, only ghosts remain in his hometown of Clayton, Tennessee. Zeke makes the decision to leave town in a final attempt to escape his pain, throwing his two treasured possessions - a copy of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and his dead brother's ancient dog - into his truck and heading east. He leaves behind two young daughters and his estranged mother, who reveals her own conflicting view of the Cooper family story in a vulnerable but spirited voice stricken by guilt over old sins and clinging to the hope that her family isn't beyond repair.
When Zeke finds refuge with cousins in Virginia horse country, divine acts in the form of severe weather, illness, and a new romance collide, leading Zeke to a crossroads where he must decide the fate of his family.
The Lost Saints of Tennessee, by Amy Franklin-Willis- Amazon Sales Rank: #136900 in Audible
- Published on: 2015-06-16
- Format: Unabridged
- Original language: English
- Running time: 638 minutes
Where to Download The Lost Saints of Tennessee, by Amy Franklin-Willis
Most helpful customer reviews
21 of 25 people found the following review helpful. "Unhappy Families are Unhappy..." By James J. Kane "You running away from something?"Moses Washington to Ezekiel Cooper in The Lost Saints of Tennessee"Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way."Leo Tolstoy in Anna KareninaSet in southwestern Tennessee and the countryside around Charlottesville, Virginia, Amy Franklin-Willis' soon-to-be-released novel The Lost Saints of Tennessee (Atlantic Monthly Press) is a story about running away from something...and running to something and even... someone. The main character of the story, a forty-two year old man named Ezekiel Cooper, is a man who is running from tragic loss of a brother and a marriage; a mother who betrayed her family and who is dying; and the pain and confusion of a life that has not turned out the way he, and others, had hoped it would.Zeke, and his family's, story of loss, betrayal, pain, hope rekindled, unresolved conflict, and second chances is sketched out by Willis in a tight but very matter-of-fact first person narrative as the reader is walked, mainly by Zeke but also his dying mother, Lillian, through 40 years of family history and secrets through flashbacks. The result is a tale that will grab the reader's heart as s/he responds with both high regard for and profound frustration with Zeke and his choices. And along side the theme of running away; of pain; of deep grief; there is the theme of forgiveness - and the choice whether to forgive or not.I find Franklin-Willis' characters to be human in all of their foibles and failings and yet also in their aspirations to break out of their (often) self imposed limits due to their adolescent choices, addictive habits, the cultural of deference to parental wishes (for the most part), and the debilitating effects of their secrets (and sins). They truly are "lost saints."What I like about this novel is Franklin-Willis, an eighth generation southerner, has captured in a simple way, the deeply spiritual aspect of small town rural south while juxtaposing, in a kind and honest way, the deeply human aspect of the characters and the tensions between the two. Faith, in a God who is very personal to them, is woven through the story and is confirmed, I think in the second chances given to Zeke by Zeke's ex-wife, his Virginia girlfriend, his oldest daughter, and even Zeke himself.I give this novel five stars and found it worth the time to read.Disclosure: I received an uncorrected proof of this book via the Amazon Vine program in exchange for review of it. I was not required to write a positive review.
24 of 29 people found the following review helpful. Lost And Found Family By Someone Else When the word gets out, this book is going to find an enthusiastic following among fans of Southern domestic fiction. It follows the fortunes and misfortunes of the Cooper family from the 1940s through 1985. The 1985 sections are told in the present tense.The story opens in 1985 with Zeke Cooper, age 42, leaving his Tennessee hometown with the intention of committing suicide. He blames himself for the death of his twin brother Carter 10 years ago, and for the subsequent divorce from his wife Jackie. Instead of killing himself, he finds a haven with relatives in Virginia. This gives him the distance he needs to reflect on his mistakes and get some perspective on his family and its history.Zeke narrates the story, with a brief section mid-book giving his mother Lillian a chance to tell her story. The family has seen more than its share of tragedy, sometimes self-inflicted and sometimes just bad luck. Teen pregnancies, infidelities, financial setbacks, substance abuse, deaths, divorces, and disease have taken their toll over the years.Through Zeke's eyes we see his lifelong devotion to Carter, his twin whose brain was damaged by a childhood illness. We also see Zeke's stubborn refusal to forgive his mother for something she did 25 years ago -- something many of us might have done in her situation. When she faces a health crisis, Zeke must decide if he has punished her long enough.Amy Franklin-Willis has put her all into the crafting of her first novel. Her prose flows beautifully and never gets bogged down. She knows her characters and has carefully worked out the complexities in their relationships.More dramatic tension and less predictability would have made this a stronger, more convincing story for me. For all the heartache and hardship the characters suffer, the resolutions come a bit too smoothly. Once I got into the rhythm of the story, I could begin to guess way ahead of time what decisions the characters would make and how each situation would play out.Were I a Southerner, I probably would have given the book four stars. It will appeal to readers who enjoy family dramas with a small-town Southern flair.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful. Compelling new novel By Marcia Sterling Amy Franklin-Willis has serious writing chops. The prose is tight and powerful. The story line is compelling. She evokes strong emotion without being sentimental. This is one of those classic stories of the South that will continue to gain recognition as people discover it. It's my favorite new book.
See all 103 customer reviews... The Lost Saints of Tennessee, by Amy Franklin-WillisThe Lost Saints of Tennessee, by Amy Franklin-Willis PDF
The Lost Saints of Tennessee, by Amy Franklin-Willis iBooks
The Lost Saints of Tennessee, by Amy Franklin-Willis ePub
The Lost Saints of Tennessee, by Amy Franklin-Willis rtf
The Lost Saints of Tennessee, by Amy Franklin-Willis AZW
The Lost Saints of Tennessee, by Amy Franklin-Willis Kindle
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar