Above the Waterfall - Softcover

Rash, Ron

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0062349325 ISBN 13: 9780062349323

Publisher: Ecco Press, 2016

Synopsis

"Rash captures the gritty realities of modern Appalachia with mournful precision...the novel contemplates timeless questions about human frailty, the divinity of nature and the legacies of our native landscapes." -Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A poetic and haunting tale set in contemporary Appalachia, New York Times bestselling author Ron Rash illuminates lives shaped by violence and a powerful connection to the land.

Les, a long-time sheriff just three-weeks from retirement, contends with the ravages of crystal meth and his own duplicity in his small Appalachian town.

Becky, a park ranger with a harrowing past, finds solace amid the lyrical beauty of this patch of North Carolina.

Enduring the mistakes and tragedies that have indelibly marked them, they are drawn together by a reverence for the natural world. When an irascible elderly local is accused of poisoning a trout stream, Les and Becky are plunged into deep and dangerous waters, forced to navigate currents of disillusionment and betrayal that will force them to question themselves and test their tentative bond--and threaten to carry them over the edge.

Echoing the heartbreaking beauty of William Faulkner and the spiritual isolation of Carson McCullers, Above the Waterfall demonstrates once again the prodigious talent of "a gorgeous, brutal writer" (Richard Price) hailed as "one of the great American authors at work today" (Janet Maslin, New York Times).

About this title

Review:

"Rash, a 2009 PEN/Faulkner Award finalist, is one of our undisputed Appalachian laureates, in company with Robert Morgan, Lee Smith, Fred Chappell, and Mark Powell."--The Millions

"Rash is an enormously gifted storyteller... one of the few writers at work today with the insight, the talent and the vision to show us how sometimes, for all our sorry shortcomings, we're able to achieve a certain redemption through our capacity for kindness and decency."--Washington Post

"Ron Rash is one author who gets a lot of recognition regionally but I firmly believe should be regarded as a national treasure."--Literary Hub

"Reading Above the Waterfall is like walking a railroad track - the scenery along the way is great, and I'm enjoying the novel's journey."--Charlotte Observer

"[Above the Waterfall is] as rich and moving as his best. If you like detective novels, the plot twists are dizzying enough to keep you guessing. Fan or not, you're going to find this one hard to put down."--Charleston Post & Courier

"[A] breathtaking novel weaving violent pasts and uncertain futures."--Paste.com

"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

"[Rash is] a writer who has demonstrated mastery of poetry, short stories, and novels, and one who has brought to the Appalachian region of the Carolinas a defining depth of place and character that has been repeatedly and accurately described as Faulknerian. He's a writer worth discovering and savoring."--PopMatters

"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

"Enhanced by Rash's lyrical prose, this fascination with the land occasionally forces readers to pause and appreciate the beauty of Rash's language like they would a flower or a sunset."--Kansas City Star

Book Description:

From New York Times bestselling author Ron Rash comes a haunting novel with the poetic quality of William Faulkner

About this edition

• Publisher: Ecco Press
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 0062349325
• ISBN 13: 9780062349323
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 272