"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Wally Lamb's two previous novels, She's Come Undone and I Know This Much Is True, struck a chord with readers. They responded to the intensely introspective nature of the books, and to their lively narrative styles and biting humor. One critic called Wally Lamb a "modern-day Dostoyevsky," whose characters struggle not only with their respective pasts, but with a "mocking, sadistic God" in whom they don't believe but to whom they turn, nevertheless, in times of trouble (New York Times).
In his new novel, The Hour I First Believed, Lamb travels well beyond his earlier work and embodies in his fiction myth, psychology, family history stretching back many generations, and the questions of faith that lie at the heart of everyday life. The result is an extraordinary tour de force, at once a meditation on the human condition and an unflinching yet compassionate evocation of character.
When forty-seven-year-old high school teacher Caelum Quirk and his younger wife, Maureen, a school nurse, move to Littleton, Colorado, they both get jobs at Columbine High School. In April 1999, Caelum returns home to Three Rivers, Connecticut, to be with his aunt who has just had a stroke. But Maureen finds herself in the school library at Columbine, cowering in a cabinet and expecting to be killed, as two vengeful students go on a carefully premeditated, murderous rampage. Miraculously she survives, but at a cost: she is unable to recover from the trauma. Caelum and Maureen flee Colorado and return to an illusion of safety at the Quirk family farm in Three Rivers. But the effects of chaos are not so easily put right, and further tragedy ensues.
While Maureen fights to regain her sanity, Caelum discovers a cache of old diaries, letters, and newspaper clippings in an upstairs bedroom of his family's house. The colorful and intriguing story they recount spans five generations of Quirk family ancestors, from the Civil War era to Caelum's own troubled childhood. Piece by piece, Caelum reconstructs the lives of the women and men whose legacy he bears. Unimaginable secrets emerge; long-buried fear, anger, guilt, and grief rise to the surface.
As Caelum grapples with unexpected and confounding revelations from the past, he also struggles to fashion a future out of the ashes of tragedy. His personal quest for meaning and faith becomes a mythic journey that is at the same time quintessentially contemporary—and American.
The Hour I First Believed is a profound and heart-rending work of fiction. Wally Lamb proves himself a virtuoso storyteller, assembling a variety of voices and an ensemble of characters rich enough to evoke all of humanity.
From the Author: Wally Lamb's Playlist for The Hour I First Believed
I’m often asked what novels by other authors I 'm reading when I’m writing one of my own. The better question is: What and who am I listening to? I’m pleased to share many of the tunes, recognizable and obscure, that helped me write Part I, "Butterfly" of my novel, The Hour I First Believed. I hope you enjoy them.
1. "Gloria," by Van Morrison from The Sopranos - Peppers and Eggs: Music from the HBO Series (Morrison) Caelum saves a slot for Van the Man in his list of “Greatest Songs of the Rock Era.” Morrison had this hit with the band Them in 1964, the year Caelum was 13. Praise for The Hour I First Believed
“Lamb...has delivered a tour de force, his best yet. A”
--Entertainment Weekly
“Lamb, a maestro of orchestrating emotion . . . knows how to make his fans’ hearts sing.”
--Elle
“A page-turner... Lamb remains a storyteller at the top of his game.”
--USA Today
“A soaring novel as amazingly graceful as the classic hymn that provides the title”
--Miami Herald
“Wally Lamb is a remarkable talent.”
--Columbus Dispatch
“Every character is rendered with vivid, utterly convincing depth....a heck of a page-turner.”
--Dallas Morning News
“[Lamb’s] pacing is superb: Sections of the story expand to accommodate a mix of characters, yet scenes don’t linger overlong.”
--Cleveland Plain Dealer
“Lamb has crafted another affecting, engrossing tome about complicated, interesting characters.”
--Minneapolis Star Tribune
“...too compelling to put down...a richly textured story...”
--St. Louis Post-Dispatch
“Lamb does an extraordinary job narrating some of the most terrifying tragedies of the past 10 years....an epic journey. Grade: A.”
--Rocky Mountain News
“When you put Lamb’s newest novel down, it will be reluctantly. It’s that good.”
--Knoxville News-Sentinel
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Book Description Condition: New. Seller Inventory # 5913355-n
Book Description Condition: New. pp. 640. Seller Inventory # 6394611
Book Description Soft Cover. Condition: new. Seller Inventory # 9780007290802
Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. From the author of the international number one bestseller I KNOW THIS MUCH IS TRUE comes a magnificent novel of a life turned upside-down by tragedy and the search for a way to carry on in the aftermath.Caelum Quirk is a middle-aged schoolteacher. Students at Columbine High School generally respect him and turn to his wife Maureen, the school nurse, when in trouble. When he has to return to his home town for the funeral of his beloved aunt, Maureen promises to join him the next day - but she goes to work that morning, and thats when the shootings happen. She hides in a cupboard, unable to see whats happening, but listening to the students being taunted, then killed.Life can never be the same again. In the face of Maureens trauma, Caelum searches for meaning, delving into his own family history and discovering that nothing was as hes always been told. As the couple inch towards recovery and suffer setbacks, the stories of Caelums redoubtable ancestors illuminate how he came to be the man he is, and how he and Maureen might live in the future with freedom and dignity. With no easy answers, Caelum gradually comes to an understanding of who he really is and what he can believe in. From the author of the international number one bestseller I KNOW THIS MUCH IS TRUE comes a magnificent novel of a life turned upside-down by tragedy and the search for a way to carry on in the aftermath. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9780007290802
Book Description paperback. Condition: New. Language: ENG. Seller Inventory # 9780007290802
Book Description Paperback / softback. Condition: New. New copy - Usually dispatched within 4 working days. From the author of the international number one bestseller I KNOW THIS MUCH IS TRUE comes a magnificent novel of a life turned upside-down by tragedy - and the search for a way to carry on in the aftermath. Seller Inventory # B9780007290802
Book Description Condition: New. From the author of the international number one bestseller I KNOW THIS MUCH IS TRUE comes a magnificent novel of a life turned upside-down by tragedy - and the search for a way to carry on in the aftermath. Num Pages: 640 pages. BIC Classification: FA. Category: (G) General (US: Trade). Dimension: 196 x 129 x 36. Weight in Grams: 444. . 2009. 1st Edition. Paperback. . . . . Seller Inventory # V9780007290802
Book Description Paperback. Condition: Brand New. 640 pages. 7.64x4.88x1.50 inches. In Stock. Seller Inventory # __0007290802
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Book Description Condition: New. From the author of the international number one bestseller I KNOW THIS MUCH IS TRUE comes a magnificent novel of a life turned upside-down by tragedy - and the search for a way to carry on in the aftermath. Num Pages: 640 pages. BIC Classification: FA. Category: (G) General (US: Trade). Dimension: 196 x 129 x 36. Weight in Grams: 444. . 2009. 1st Edition. Paperback. . . . . Books ship from the US and Ireland. Seller Inventory # V9780007290802