The Flamer

by Ben Rogers

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Pub Date Sep 04 2018 | Archive Date Dec 15 2021

The Book Whisperer | Baobab Press

General Fiction (Adult) | Literary Fiction

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Description

All boys tinker with fire. Oby Brooks holes up in a backyard shed to experiment with napalm recipes. He has a hand in burning down his own house, twice. He can't help it: his very DNA seems made of TNT. Meanwhile, amidst the detonations, Oby's sexuality is up for grabs. Parents, mountain men, chemistry teachers, neighbors, and arson inspectors all try in their own quirky ways to usher Oby into adulthood with his fingers any eyelashes intact. In the end, the question is whether Oby's nature will be nurtured, or neutered. Oh, and, will he land a Nobel Prize?

Advance Praise

Watching Rogers’s characters change is like watching a sculptor take a lump of clay and shape it into something organic to the human spirit. - Melanie, Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Flamer is a highly original and delightful debut by a writer who captures the quirks of this region with genuine love but without sentimental pieties. - Jenny, Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

No matter where you grew up, or during what era, Oby is a universal character who has a unique ability to force readers back into their memory banks to fondly reminisce over their own childhood firsts. Enjoy the ride! - Brooke, Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A wonderful coming-of-age novel. Funny and moving, The Flamer is a must-read. - Brian, Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐