Monday, January 05, 2009

Pg. 69: Stewart O'Nan's "Songs for the Missing"

The current feature at the Page 69 Test: Songs for the Missing by Stewart O'Nan.

About the book, from the publisher:
An enthralling portrait of one family in the aftermath of a daughter’s disappearance.

It was the summer of her Chevette, of J.P. and letting her hair grow. It was also the summer when, without warning, popular high school student Kim Larsen disappeared from her small midwestern town. Her loving parents, her introverted sister, her friends and boyfriend must now do everything they can to find her. As desperate search parties give way to pleading television appearances, and private investigations yield to personal revelations, we see one town’s intimate struggle to maintain hope and, finally, to live with the unknown.

Stewart O’Nan’s new novel begins with the suspense and pacing of a thriller and soon deepens into an affecting family drama of loss. On the heels of his critically acclaimed and nationally bestselling Last Night at the Lobster, Songs for the Missing is an honest, heartfelt account of one family’s attempt to find their child. With a soulful empathy for these ordinary heroes, O’Nan draws us into the world of this small American town and allows us to feel a part of this family.
Listen to an excerpt from Songs for the Missing, and learn more about the author and his work at Stewart O'Nan's website.

Stewart O'Nan's novels include Snow Angels, The Speed Queen, A Prayer for the Dying, and Last Night at the Lobster. His works of nonfiction include the bestselling book with Stephen King on the Boston Red Sox, Faithful. Granta named him one of the twenty Best Young American Novelists in 1995.

The Page 69 Test: Songs for the Missing.

--Marshal Zeringue