The Clearing by Tim Gautreaux (UK First Edition)
Before the Great War, Byron Aldridge had led a charmed life as heir apparent to a Pennsylvania timber empire, and as guide and idol to his younger brother. But he returned from France a different man, drifting away and finally disappearing altogether, until he is discovered working as a constable in a remote Louisiana sawmill. Here, surrounded by cypress swamps and snakes and alligators, men lead lives of backbreaking toil punctuated only by the brutal entertainments offered by the Sicilians who control the whiskey and card games and girls, and by the rough law meted out by Byron. His brother, assuming charge of the mill, struggles to understand him, even as their wives contend with their own hopes and disappointments, and the future grows fearsome for them all. "The Clearing" is a story of family, of what sustains people through loss, of establishing a community in the deepest wilderness and then defending it. Palpably atmospheric, with a remarkable range of characters and emotions, it displays Tim Gautreaux's masterly understanding of time, place, and human nature.
Hardback | 384 pages
141 x 223 x 35mm | 560g
22 Sep 2003
HODDER & STOUGHTON
Sceptre
United Kingdom
none
0340828897
9780340828892
Condition: Good
A vintage book that has been read but is in good condition. Very minimal damage to the cover, including very minimal (barely visible) scuff marks, but no holes or tears. Binding has very minimal wear, (slightly slanted from sitting at the bottom of a heavy stack of books) but still as strong as the binding on a new copy. All pages are undamaged, with no creasing or tearing, no pencil underlining of text, no highlighting of text, no writing in margins. No missing pages. The dust jacket is included and in good condition (very minimal scuff marks).