Only Killers and Thieves - Softcover

Howarth, Paul

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0062836870 ISBN 13: 9780062836878

Publisher: Harper, 2018

Synopsis

Barnes & Noble Discover Award Winner

Two brothers are exposed to the brutal realities of life and the seductive cruelty of power in this riveting debut novel--a story of savagery and race, injustice and honor, set in the untamed frontier of 1880s Australia--reminiscent of Philipp Meyer's The Son and the novels of Cormac McCarthy.

An epic tale of revenge and survival, Only Killers and Thieves is a gripping and utterly transporting debut, bringing to vivid life a colonial Australia that bears a striking resemblance to the American Wild West in its formative years.

It is 1885, and a crippling drought threatens to ruin the McBride family. Their land is parched, their cattle starving. When the rain finally comes, it is a miracle that renews their hope for survival. But returning home from an afternoon swimming at a remote waterhole filled by the downpour, fourteen-year-old Tommy and sixteen-year-old Billy meet with a shocking tragedy.

Thirsting for vengeance against the man they believe has wronged them--their former Aboriginal stockman--the distraught brothers turn to the ruthless and cunning John Sullivan, the wealthiest landowner in the region and their father's former employer. Sullivan gathers a posse led by the dangerous and fascinating Inspector Edmund Noone and his Queensland Native Police, an infamous arm of British colonial power charged with the "dispersal" of indigenous Australians to "protect" white settler rights. As they ride across the barren outback in pursuit, their harsh and horrifying journey will have a devastating impact on Tommy, tormenting him for the rest of his life--and will hold enduring consequences for a young country struggling to come into its own.

Recreating a period of Australian and British history as evocative and violent as the American frontier era, Only Killers and Thieves is an unforgettable story of family, guilt, empire, race, manhood, and faith that combines the insightfulness of Philipp Meyer's The Son, the atmospheric beauty of Amanda Coplin's The Orchardist, and the raw storytelling power of Ian McGuire's The North Water.

About this title

Review

"Only Killers and Thieves is a powerful debut. Paul Howarth brings early Australia to life, bloody warts and all, in an epic tale of murder, revenge, and colonial oppression, with very little room for redemption. The story and his words will stay with you, long after you have finished the book."--New York Review of Books

"Prose like that arrives direct from Cormac McCarthy's dusty Southwest...Howarth's spotlights how arbitrary frontier justice can be. But he also asks: How much less arbitrary is a purportedly civilized society?"--Washington Post

"An outstanding debut...a powerful novel of crimes in a bleak landscape."--Sunday Times (UK), Historical Fiction Book of the Month

"They're hard to find, books that grab you by the throat and won't let go -- addictive novels that make your heart race. Only Killers and Thieves tops that category...There's much to relish in this page turner, descriptive writing, a plot that wrings you out, and characters you grow to hate, evil and racism personified...This literary, hard-hitter brings to life a time of mistrust and violence in Australia when whites tried to wipe out indigenous Australians. Only Killers and Thieves is brilliant but brutal."--The Missourian

"Howarth's stunning debut has shades of Cormac McCarthy and Patrick deWitt...a book that grips from the outset and entertains even as it educates us about an appalling part of Australia's history. Epic in scope, Only Killers and Thieves is a study in morality in a land where white vigilantism has never seemed more depraved."--The Irish Times

"Hugely impressive...reminiscent of Peter Carey."--Irish Examiner

"A must-read for anyone who craves pictorially descriptive writing, story-telling with palpable tension and characters so finely drawn they leap off the pages...Howarth has captured the trappings of America's Wild West, only here the white vigilantes' victims are Australia's aboriginal natives. Otherwise the parallels are striking, from ethnic hatred, violent attacks and torture to the bloodthirstiness of ruthless hunters as they move through an unrelenting, sun-parched landscape bent on extermination. Against this stark and gory backdrop Howarth crafts nuanced, insightful alterations in the boys' characters...No matter how driven you are (and you will be), resist the temptation to read Only Killers and Thieves straight through. Howarth's writing deserves thoughtful savoring."--Newark Star-Ledger-NJ.com

"Howarth's impressive debut is a Wild West saga transported to 19th-century Queensland, Australian. The story deals unflinchingly with the brutality of Australian rule...but the heart of the story is the complicated relationship between the brothers...While this book has a historical point to make, it also works as a suspenseful mystery and a resonant bildungsroman."--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Powerful debut...the novel feels like a modern Western along the lines of Cormac McCarthy's All the Pretty Horses. Howarth's narrative is almost cinematic...U.S. readers will make the connection with our country's oppression of Native Americans and gain an understanding of the fundamental racism of both former British colonies...Howarth is a novelist to watch."--Library Journal, starred review

"A gripping novel about conflict in the Australian outback at the turn of the century; beautifully done."--Paulette Jiles, New York Times Bestselling Author of News of the World, National Book Award Finalist

From the Back Cover

An epic tale of revenge and survival, Only Killers and Thieves is a gripping and utterly transporting debut, bringing to life a colonial Australia that bears a striking resemblance to the American Wild West in its early years.

It is 1885, and a crippling drought threatens to ruin the McBride family. Their land is parched; their cattle are starving. When the rain miraculously comes, it renews their hope for survival. But, returning home from one afternoon after swimming in a remote water hole that had been replenished by the downpour, fourteen-year-old Tommy and sixteen-year-old Billy encounter a shocking tragedy.

Thirsty for vengeance against the man who they believe has wronged them--their former Aboriginal stockman--the distraught brothers turn to the ruthless, cunning John Sullivan, their father's former employer and the wealthiest landowner in the region. Sullivan gathers a posse, under the leadership of the dangerous, fascinating Inspector Edmund Noone, comprising members of the Queensland Native Police, an infamous arm of British colonial power charged with the "dispersal" of indigenous Australians to "protect" the rights of white settlers. As they journey across the barren outback in pursuit, their harsh and horrifying experiences will have a devastating impact on Tommy, one that will torment him for the rest of his life--and will hold enduring consequences for a young country struggling to come into its own.

Re-creating a period of Australian and British history evocative of the violence of the American frontier era, Only Killers and Thieves is an unforgettable story of family, guilt, empire, race, manhood, and faith.

About this edition

• Publisher: Harper
• Publication date: 2018
• ISBN 10: 0062836870
• ISBN 13: 9780062836878
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 336