Northwest Corner
; John Burnhan Schwartz
; John Burnhan SchwartzJuly 26, 2011 - Random House
(Description)
The New York Times Book Review called Reservation Road “a triumph,” and the novel was universally acclaimed. Now, in a brilliant literary performance by one of our most compelling and compassionate writers, John Burnham Schwartz reintroduces us to Reservation Road’s unforgettable characters in a superb new work of fiction that stands magnificently on its own. Northwest Corner is a riveting story about the complex, fierce, ultimately inspiring resilience of families in the face of life’s most difficult and unexpected challenges.
Twelve years after a tragic accident and a cover-up that led to prison time, Dwight Arno, now fifty, is a man who has started over without exactly moving on. Living alone in California, haunted yet keeping his head down, Dwight manages a sporting goods store and dates a woman to whom he hasn’t revealed the truth about his past. Then an unexpected arrival throws his carefully neutralized life into turmoil and exposes all that he’s hidden.
Sam, Dwight’s estranged college-age son, has shown up without warning, fleeing a devastating incident in his own life. In its way, Sam’s sense of guilt is as crushing as his father’s. As the two men are forced to confront their similar natures and their half-buried hopes for connection, they must also search for redemption and love. In turn, they dramatically transform the lives of the women around them: the ex-wives, mothers, and lovers they have turned to in their desperate attempts to somehow rewrite, outrun, or eradicate the past.
Told in the resonant voices of everyday people gripped in the emotional riptide of lived life, Northwest Corner is at once tough and heart-lifting, an urgent, powerful story about family bonds that can never be broken and the wayward roads that lead us back to those we love.
Twelve years after a tragic accident and a cover-up that led to prison time, Dwight Arno, now fifty, is a man who has started over without exactly moving on. Living alone in California, haunted yet keeping his head down, Dwight manages a sporting goods store and dates a woman to whom he hasn’t revealed the truth about his past. Then an unexpected arrival throws his carefully neutralized life into turmoil and exposes all that he’s hidden.
Sam, Dwight’s estranged college-age son, has shown up without warning, fleeing a devastating incident in his own life. In its way, Sam’s sense of guilt is as crushing as his father’s. As the two men are forced to confront their similar natures and their half-buried hopes for connection, they must also search for redemption and love. In turn, they dramatically transform the lives of the women around them: the ex-wives, mothers, and lovers they have turned to in their desperate attempts to somehow rewrite, outrun, or eradicate the past.
Told in the resonant voices of everyday people gripped in the emotional riptide of lived life, Northwest Corner is at once tough and heart-lifting, an urgent, powerful story about family bonds that can never be broken and the wayward roads that lead us back to those we love.
Have you tried any books by this author? I've enjoyed Reservation Road
and The Commoner
a lot.
I've never read anything by this author, but it sounds like a good read.
ReplyDeleteI really liked The Reservation Road. I had no idea about the sequel. Thanks for the info!
ReplyDeleteOh, I LOVED Reservation Road...and the movie, too.
ReplyDelete"Wow" says it, with a return of some of those characters. This one is definitely going on my list.
Here's MY WOW POST
My book group read and discussed THE COMMONER a while back. I really liked it. Haven't read anything else, but this one sounds promising.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds really interesting!
ReplyDeleteNot an author I'm familiar with, I'll be sure to keep an eye out for those books though.
ReplyDeleteI love family dramas...great pick!
ReplyDeleteI read Reservation Road and loved it; I also saw the movie, which I liked but not as much as the book.
ReplyDeleteHope you enjoy this one when it comes out :)
I have never read anything by this author before but the book sounds interesting
ReplyDeletehttp://ratherbarefoot.blogspot.com/2011/07/waiting-on-wednesday-4.html
I've never read any of his books before but they sound like I'd enjoy them. Next time I go to the library I'll look for them.
ReplyDeleteI've never even heard of the author, but this one does sound good.
ReplyDeleteWow! Sounds like a gripping tale. I hope you enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteI like the sound of this one, Diane, and I love the cover as well. Thanks for sharing it with us!
ReplyDeleteOoh, that sounds like a good one!
ReplyDeleteNever heard of the author, I have heard of Reservation Road, but never made the connection. This current books seems really interesting.
ReplyDeleteOh, this DOES sound good! I don't think I've heard of the author before.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by to welcome me back! I hope you are enjoying your "by the sea" location this summer - it sounds lovely to me. I just love being near the ocean and found it very hard to leave the California coast.
Sue
It does sound like a good read but I've never even heard of the author never mind read anything. Reading some of the previous comments makes me think I've missed out. Thanks for spotlighting this author.
ReplyDeleteI'm reading this one for a TLC tour and one of the reasons I picked it is because I'm not familiar with his works but they sound wonderful!!
ReplyDelete