Back to Wando Passo : A Novel
Author(s): David Payne
Hailed as "the most gifted American novelist of his generation" (Boston Globe), David Payne introduces us to Ransom Hill, a big-hearted, wild-man lead singer of a legendary indie rock group, who has come to South Carolina determined to save his marriage, his family, and himself. But back at Wando Passo, his wife's inherited family estate, things don't proceed according to plan. There's another man in the picture, and Ran's discovery of a mysterious relic from slave times transports him—and the reader—back into the story of another romantic triangle at Wando Passo that erupted violently at the height of the Civil War. Will the present repeat the past?
Filled with fast-paced adventure, lyrical writing, wicked humor, and unforgettable characters, David Payne's Back to Wando Passo propels the two love stories, linked by place through time, to a simultaneous crescendo of betrayal, revenge, and redemption.
Review(s):
“A haunting portrait of the American South.”
“Payne’s richly ornate Southern saga... fashions elaborate prose and touching characterization into an absorbing tale.”
“Astonishing…Masterfully interweaving contemporary and 19th century story lines, Payne crafts a tragic, suspenseful tale of necessity and desire.”
“A luscious, engaging, and heartfelt novel with plenty to say about individual responsibility and the legacy of slavery.”
“BACK TO WANDO PASSO is a mystery story inside a history story; a supernatural, psychological roller coaster ride ...Delicious.”
“So bold in concept and audacious in scope that it seems like the summing up of a great writer’s career.”
“The work of a master story teller who knows precisely what he wants to do ... First rate, original, and haunting.”
“A master fabulist, Payne hooks the reader like a wide-eyed catfish...a fine, twisty marvel.”
“Delicious...brilliant...held together by gorgeous writing...The most literate beach read of the year.”
“Big in ideas, lush in its poetic text, large in its expansive reach through centuries...Payne is irresistible.”
ISBN: 9780060851903