The Risen

Rash, Ron

ISBN 10: 1441709770 ISBN 13: 9781441709776

Publisher: Blackstone Pub, 2016

Synopsis

New York Times bestselling author Ron Rash demonstrates his superb narrative skills in this suspenseful and evocative tale of two brothers whose lives are altered irrevocably by the events of one long-ago summer—and one bewitching young woman—and the secrets that could destroy their lives.

While swimming in a secluded creek on a hot Sunday in 1969, sixteen-year-old Eugene and his older brother, Bill, meet the entrancing Ligeia. A sexy, free-spirited redhead from Daytona Beach banished to their small North Carolina town until the fall, Ligeia will not only bewitch the two brothers, but lure them into a struggle that reveals the hidden differences in their natures.

Drawn in by her raw sensuality and rebellious attitude, Eugene falls deeper under her spell. Ligeia introduces him to the thrills and pleasures of the counterculture movement, then in its headiest moment. But just as the movement’s youthful optimism turns dark elsewhere in the country that summer, so does Eugene and Ligeia’s brief romance. Eugene moves farther and farther away from his brother, the cautious and dutiful Bill, and when Ligeia vanishes as suddenly as she appeared, the growing rift between the two brothers becomes immutable.

Decades later, their relationship is still turbulent, and the once close brothers now lead completely different lives. Bill is a gifted and successful surgeon, a paragon of the community, while Eugene, the town reprobate, is a failed writer and determined alcoholic.

When a shocking reminder of the past unexpectedly surfaces, Eugene is plunged back into that fateful summer, and the girl he cannot forget. The deeper he delves into his memories, the closer he comes to finding the truth. But can Eugene’s recollections be trusted? And will the truth set him free and offer salvation . . . or destroy his damaged life and everyone he loves?

About this title

Review

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

So well-crafted that it reads like poetry. . . . Waterfall will leave the reader pondering the imponderables of life - and grateful, as Rash portrays, in being witness to life's beauties, even while surrounded by hardship. --Jackson Clarion-Ledger"

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"

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"

Rash pulls the reader in with an element of suspense injected into his astute exploration of the clash of cultures, past and present.--Booklist

The Risen is an important novel - and an intriguing one - from one of our master storytellers. In its pages, the past rises up, haunting and chiding, demanding answers of us all. --Raleigh News & Observer"

A beautiful piece of craftsmanship...I ve long thought Ron Rash as good as any contemporary American novelist I ve read. This lovely and disturbing book confirms that opinion. --Wall Street Journal"

Compelling... Rash, as always, has an absolutely sure sense of place... He is a riveting storyteller, ably heightening the tension between the story s past and present... A story about control, evil and the nature of power both to save and to kill. --Washington Post"

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

"So well-crafted that it reads like poetry. . . . Waterfall will leave the reader pondering the imponderables of life - and grateful, as Rash portrays, in being witness to life's beauties, even while surrounded by hardship."--Jackson Clarion-Ledger

"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

"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

"The Risen is an important novel - and an intriguing one - from one of our master storytellers. In its pages, the past rises up, haunting and chiding, demanding answers of us all."--Raleigh News & Observer

"A beautiful piece of craftsmanship...I've long thought Ron Rash as good as any contemporary American novelist I've read. This lovely and disturbing book confirms that opinion."--Wall Street Journal

"Compelling... Rash, as always, has an absolutely sure sense of place... He is a riveting storyteller, ably heightening the tension between the story's past and present... A story about control, evil and the nature of power -- both to save and to kill."--Washington Post

From the Back Cover

While swimming in a creek on a hot Sunday in 1969, sixteen-year-old Eugene and his older brother, Bill, meet Ligeia. A rebellious teenager banished to their small North Carolina town, she entrances the two brothers, eventually luring them into a struggle that reveals the hidden differences in their natures.

Eugene, falling under Ligeia's spell, grows further and further apart from his brother. When Ligeia vanishes as suddenly as she appeared, the growing rift between the two boys becomes immutable.

Decades later, the once-close brothers now lead completely different lives. Bill is a gifted and successful surgeon, while Eugene is a failed writer and determined alcoholic.

When a shocking reminder of the past unexpectedly surfaces, Eugene is forced to remember that fateful summer and the girl he cannot forget. The deeper he delves into his memories, the closer he comes to finding the truth. But can Eugene's recollections be trusted? And will the truth set him free and offer salvation, or destroy his damaged life and everyone he loves?

Edition details

• Publisher: Blackstone Pub
• Publication date: 2016
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1441709770
• ISBN 13: 9781441709776
• Binding: Audio CD