Spill Simmer Falter Wither
by Sara Baume
Buy on AmazonA debut novel already praised as "unbearably poignant and beautifully told" (Eimear McBride) this captivating story follows -- over the course of four seasons -- a misfit man who adopts a misfit dog. It is springtime, and two outcasts -- a man ignored, even shunned by his village, and the one-eyed dog he takes into his quiet, tightly shuttered life -- find each other, by accident or fate, and forge an unlikely connection. As their friendship grows, their small, seaside town suddenly takes note of them, falsely perceiving menace where there is only mishap; the unlikely duo must take to the road.…
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"The Irish Times has called Sara Baume a writer who “is touched by greatness.” That is a lot to live up to in a country that’s famous for its writers, so let’s just say she has a way with words. The book is divided into four sections, each one a different season, named to reflect what the main character, Ray, is going through. He’s a misfit in a small Irish town by the sea, but his life changes when he adopts a dog who is loving but has a vicious streak. In order to protect the dog, Ray is forced to leave his hometown, a journey that both frees him and destroys him. As you sink into the rhythms of Baume’s prose, you can almost smell the salt air and feel the sting of a small town that can be unforgiving to those who are different."
NPR Books We Love — 2016 · apps.npr.org