Beasts of the Earth
by James Wade
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Pub Date 11 Oct 2022 | Archive Date Not set
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Description
James Wade, whose first two novels were praised as “rhapsodic” and “haunting,” delivers his most powerful work to date—a chilling parable about the impossible demands of hate and love, trauma and goodness, vividly set in the landscapes of Texas and Louisiana.
Beasts of the Earth tells the story of Harlen LeBlanc, a dependable if quiet employee of the Carter Hills High School’s grounds department, whose carefully maintained routine is overthrown by an act of violence. As the town searches for answers, LeBlanc strikes out on his own to exonerate a friend, while drawing the eyes of the law to himself and fending off unwelcome voices that call for a sterner form of justice.
Twenty years earlier, young Michael Fischer dreads the return of his father from prison. He spends his days stealing from trap lines in the Louisiana bayou to feed his fanatically religious mother and his cherished younger sister, Doreen. When his father eventually returns, an evil arrives in Michael’s life that sends him running from everything he has ever known. He is rescued by a dying poet and his lover, who extract from him a promise: to be a good man, whatever that may require.
Beasts of the Earth deftly intertwines these stories, exploring themes of time, fate, and free will, to produce a revelatory conclusion that is both beautiful and heartbreaking.
A Note From the Publisher
Advance Praise
“Wade’s pitch-perfect, personality-driven dialogue sings in the voice of life, and his ability to meld existential thought, situational metaphor, and cinematic setting is a full-bodied experience…A soul-deep exploration of a wounded man in crisis, James Wade’s Beasts of the Earth…secures his position as an author of extraordinary merit.”
-New York Journal of Books
Marketing Plan
• National reviews and interviews
• National print and digital ad campaign
• Social media campaign
• Book club marketing
• Showcase title at major bookseller and library trade shows
• Author Instagram and Facebook: @jameswadewriter
• Author Twitter: @JW_writer
• Author website: www.JamesWadeWriter.com
• Also Available: River, Sing Out and All Things Left Wild
Available Editions
| EDITION | Hardcover |
| ISBN | 9781665024082 |
| PRICE | $25.99 (USD) |
Links
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Dave W, Reviewer
Wade’s Beasts of the Earth, his forthcoming and latest novel, could be subtitled the Ballad Of Harlan LeBlanc. It is a lyrical haunting descriptive tale that threads the needle between heaven and hell, between good and evil, between penance and guilt. It is one if those stories that is thick and rich and absorbing.
We begin with two separate alternating points of view. One is an odd duck named Harlan LeBlanc who lives a quiet life in an East Texas town where he works as a high school groundskeeper, keeps to himself, makes no small talk, and, if you asked him, he would say his favorite book is Of Mice and Men. He doesn’t bother anyone and just lives a simple life until all hell breaks loose and he finds himself near the center of the maelstrom.
The other narrative balancing against LeBlanc’s world is that of Michael whose father is returning from prison after serving his term for child molestation. Michael’s world is a dark legend of pain and misery in the swamp. He hates his father, but then everyone does. He’s just a kid and he’s trapped.
It’s a fable about two innocents coming face to face with evil and feeling guilt for how they deal with it, guilt that will haunt them all their days. It’s a dark tale, but told with such poetry.
Rachel D, Reviewer
This was my first time reading this author and I really enjoyed this book! GREAT characters, good solid story line. I saw afterwards that he has two more books available and bought them immediately. The synopses of both sounded right up my alley. I have a new author to stalk. Lol.
Randy B, Reviewer
What an absolutely amazing, beautiful and powerful book. James Wade is a lyricist with the written word. I will be thinking about this story for a long time. Some books just seep into your soul and stay with you. This is one of those rare books. A gift to those of us who love to read. Thank you James Wade.
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