Properties of Thirst
by Marianne Wiggins
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Pub Date Aug 02 2022 | Archive Date Aug 02 2022
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Description
A New Yorker Best Book of 2022
Fifteen years after the publication of Evidence of Things Unseen, National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize finalist Marianne Wiggins returns with a novel destined to be an American classic: a sweeping masterwork set during World War II about the meaning of family and the limitations of the American Dream.
Rockwell “Rocky” Rhodes has spent years fiercely protecting his California ranch from the LA Water Corporation. It is here where he and his beloved wife Lou raised their twins, Sunny and Stryker, and it is here where Rocky has mourned Lou in the years since her death.
As Sunny and Stryker reach the cusp of adulthood, the country teeters on the brink of war. Stryker decides to join the fight, deploying to Pearl Harbor not long before the bombs strike. Soon, Rocky and his family find themselves facing yet another incomprehensible tragedy.
Rocky is determined to protect his remaining family and the land where they’ve loved and lost so much. But when the government decides to build a Japanese-American internment camp next to the ranch, Rocky realizes that the land faces even bigger threats than the LA watermen he’s battled for years. Complicating matters is the fact that the idealistic Department of the Interior man assigned to build the camp, who only begins to understand the horror of his task after it may be too late, becomes infatuated with Sunny and entangled with the Rhodes family.
Properties of Thirst is a novel that is both universal and intimate. It is the story of a changing American landscape and an examination of one of the darkest periods in this country’s past, told through the stories of the individual loves and losses that weave together to form the fabric of our shared history. Ultimately, it is an unflinching distillation of our nation’s essence—and a celebration of the bonds of love and family that persist against all odds.
Advance Praise
"This magnificent novel opens every little nerve of language and sends jolts of electricity along the spine. It's a love story, and a family tale, and a song of history. It's about shame and loss and recovery and beauty. It's a novel to cherish, composed with great humanity and humor."–Colum McCann
"This novel is magisterial, from the title to the last word. A novel that breathes tenderness, sensuality and hard, hard moments together from the historical to the personal. A novel that is one grand story with a world of stories within. A novel with characters so vivid and writing so graceful one reads in rhythmic loops of speed going between the need to know and the need to savor. Above all else Marianne Wiggins new novel is such a testament to her talent I am left deeply moved and honored to have been gifted with reading such fine work." —Sheryl Cotleur, Copperfield’s Books
"My words could never do justice to this incredible book. A graciously epic work of Historical Fiction, reading Properties of Thirst felt like an immersive history class on the shameful Japanese Internment Camps of World War II, combined with a master's class in fiction writing. Truly, this work is an instant classic and a must-read for historical fans, book clubs, and great fiction readers alike." —Mary O'Malley, Skylark Bookshop
"Properties of Thirst is an examination of the properties of life, love, family and history that delves deeply into the American experience, especially the duality of a society that can fight dictatorships in the name of freedom while simultaneously incarcerating its own innocent citizens because of xenophobic racism. The dynamic of a world experiencing cataclysmic change is portrayed through the Rhodes family who exemplify the great shift but maintain the ancient binds of kinship, especially those of twins. It is a heartwarming and heartrending novel and the only thing more inspiring is the incredible story of its creation. Consider it a gift from an artist who has always rewarded readers of great fiction." —Bill Cusumano, Square Books
“What a thought-provoking, enthralling story! I was completely intrigued by the Rhodes family, swept away by their remarkable journey throughout the pages of this beautifully written story. I adore family sagas, and Marianne Wiggins has crafted a sweeping epic filled with complex, unforgettable characters, each pursuing the American Dream. I did not want it to end!" —Anderson McKean, Page & Palette
"Words can hardly describe the love for this epic novel (with at least 30 tabs marking passages). Wiggins has given us a present of the highest order. Inyo Valley is the home of Rocky, Cas, and Sunny. After news of Stryker's possible death during the Pearl Harbor bombing, they become neighbors to Manzanar. But this is only the bones of the novel. Food, family, and so much more populate this beautiful novel of a much beloved novelist. I savored every moment. Fans of historical fiction will rejoice." —Valerie Koehler, Blue Willow Bookshop
"To try to encapsulate this book in a few sentences can in no way do it justice – it simply must be read! A big family saga with a lens focused on some of this country’s darkest hours, with so much to talk about - from the title to the chapter headings to the characters, each piece contributing to layer upon layer of this truly unforgettable novel. I am in awe of Marianne Wiggins’ immense talent and brilliant storytelling. Her ability to breathe life into these characters is incomparable and they will remain with you long after you’ve reached the breathtaking ending." —Julie Slavinsky, Warwick’s
"Properties of Thirst is truly exceptional! Wiggins’ accomplished writing shines through with masterful character development, perfect pacing, and interwoven plots. Her brightest star, however, is with the unnamed main character: water. With the reminder of horrors in WWII, the Japanese internment camps, and Rocky’s fights with Los Angeles water officials the message is clear: without water there is nothing. Properties of Thirst has Pulitzer written on every page!" —Nancy Simpson-Brice, Book Vault
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781416571261 |
| PRICE | $28.00 (USD) |
| PAGES | 544 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Reviewer 849535
As a lover of historical fiction, and having grown up in Southern California, I really enjoyed the setting of this book, WWII, Lone Pine, Owens Lake, and the ongoing story of water “theft” to irrigate Los Angeles made this an interesting base for a fascinating story about an unusual family. I loved the word crafting centered on French culinary arts, as well as the interplay between the characters. This is my favorite novel written by Marianne Wiggins.
Jennifer C, Bookseller
The poetry of The Properties of Thirst by Marianne Wiggins gave me chills. This epic and sweeping novel is destined to be an award winner, telling a timeless story of family, greed, and grief. It imagines how everyday Americans might have resisted the travesty of the internment of Americans of Asian descent during WWII.
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