Whatever you choose to call it- Grit Lit, Country Noir, Southern Gothic (on the wrong side of the tracks), I love it. I was thrilled to get my hands on the advance reading copy of Where All Light Tends to Go by David Joy. I am also thrilled to be able to meet tonight an author who, in my opinion, will join the ranks of Daniel Woodrell, Larry Brown, Ron Rash and Tom Franklin.
Jacob McNeely is resigned to the fact that he is stuck. He is not only stuck in the town he lives in but also the lifestyle that his family has led for generations. His family history is full of outlaws, bootleggers and currently the business of crystal methamphetamine; his father is a dealer and his mother is an addict. The one good thing in his life is his life-long love, Maggie. To Jacob, Maggie represents everything good in the world and he will do anything to keep her from being “stuck” in their home town.
He has worked for his father since he was young and knows the business inside and out. One night, things go terribly wrong with a job his father sent him on and he begins to learn that things and people aren’t always who and what they seem to be. This a beautifully written book full of brutality and love; and I found myself cheering for Jacob to find his way.
This is a must read for 2015.
Written by Maggie
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