Heffernan, William Beulah Hill ISBN 13: 9781888451405

Beulah Hill - Softcover

9781888451405: Beulah Hill
View all copies of this ISBN edition:
 
 
"The whispered revelations that come spilling out of -Beulah Hill are like ghostly voices you sometimes hear in the attic—soft, sad and disturbingly urgent."
New York Times Book Review

"Mesmerizing."
Publishers Weekly

A novel of rare literary distinction—an erotic thriller combined with a true mystery, and a look back at a little-known part of the American societal patchwork—Beulah Hill, by bestselling author William Heffernan, is a brilliant and deeply original work of fiction.

Set in the 1930s, the story follows the investigation of a racially motivated murder in a rural Vermont town and the shocking ramifications it has on that backwoods community, which had once served as a stopping place for runaway slaves. Having made new lives for themselves there, many of these former slaves married interracially, and their progeny became what was known as "bleached." The result was an atmosphere of tension and distrust that—as so vividly rendered in this novel—occasionally exploded in acts of violence . . . and even murder.

At a time when the Great Depression had created widespread fear and Hitler was just beginning his reign in Germany, Beulah Hill tells the story of a white man who was murdered in an almost ritualistic manner on land owned by the only remaining black family in that small town. Heading the investigation is a young con-stable who is himself a deeply conflicted member of the "bleached" underclass and who is intimately involved with the proud and headstrong black woman at the center of the killing.

William Heffernan, a three-time Pulitzer Prize nominee, is the author of 15 novels, including such bestsellers as The Corsican, The Dinosaur Club (a New York Times bestseller), Tarnished Blue (Edgar Award winner) and Cityside (forthcoming from Akashic in trade paperback in fall 2003). He lives in Vermont with his wife and three sons.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

Review:
William Heffernan, a solid craftsman when it comes to the thriller genre (Red Angel, The Dinosaur Club), changes pace with this thoughtful, beautifully detailed novel about race relations in Depression-era Vermont. Beulah Hill is better known as Nigger Hill, and its patriarch, Jehiel Flood, is a proud black farmer whose daughter Elizabeth, the local schoolteacher, has been loved since childhood by Samuel Bradley, now constable of Jerusalem's Landing. When the murdered body of Royal Firman turns up on Nigger Hill, Samuel is called to investigate. He may look white, but the victim's family and friends still taunt him with the epithet that denotes the result of three generations of miscegenation; "bleached" he may be, but according to Vermont law Samuel is as white as the Firmans, and tracking the killer of a white man on property owned by the last black family in the town is an uphill battle. Heffernan limns Samuel's inner conflicts with the same hard- edged clarity he brings to his portrayal of the icy landscape of Vermont in winter as his protagonist grapples with a truth he cannot bear to bring to light. This moody meditation on a little-known piece of history is hardly a thriller, but that shouldn't deter Heffernan's regular readers from discovering what else he can do besides spin a well-paced yarn: tell a small story with style, grace, and a decidedly literary talent. --Jane Adams
About the Author:
William Heffernan, a 3-time Pulitzer Prize nominee, is the author of fifteen novels, including such bestsellers as The Corsican, The Dinosaur Club (a New York Times bestseller), Tarnished Blue (Edgar Award winner), Cityside, and Beulah Hill. He lives in Vermont with his wife and three sons.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

  • PublisherAkashic Books, Ltd.
  • Publication date2003
  • ISBN 10 1888451408
  • ISBN 13 9781888451405
  • BindingPaperback
  • Number of pages301
  • Rating
Buy Used
Condition: Very Good
Looks unread. Learn more about this copy

Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.

Destination, rates & speeds

Add to Basket

Other Popular Editions of the Same Title

9780684862262: Beulah Hill

Featured Edition

ISBN 10:  ISBN 13:  9780684862262
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2001
Hardcover

Top Search Results from the AbeBooks Marketplace

Stock Image

William Heffernan
Published by Akashic Books April 2003 (2003)
ISBN 10: 1888451408 ISBN 13: 9781888451405
Used Trade Paperback Quantity: 1
Seller:
Book People
(Henrico, VA, U.S.A.)

Book Description Trade Paperback. Condition: Very Good. Looks unread. Seller Inventory # 29237

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy Used
US$ 6.00
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

William Hefferman
Published by Akashic Books (2003)
ISBN 10: 1888451408 ISBN 13: 9781888451405
Used Paperback Quantity: 1
Seller:
AwesomeBooks
(Wallingford, United Kingdom)

Book Description Paperback. Condition: Very Good. Beulah Hill This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. . Seller Inventory # 7719-9781888451405

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy Used
US$ 4.45
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 5.67
From United Kingdom to U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

William Heffernan
Published by Akashic Books April 2003 (2003)
ISBN 10: 1888451408 ISBN 13: 9781888451405
Used Paperback Quantity: 1
Seller:
Montclair Book Center
(Montclair, NJ, U.S.A.)

Book Description Paperback. Condition: USED Good. Seller Inventory # 411566

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy Used
US$ 7.00
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 4.99
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

William Hefferman
Published by Akashic Books 01/04/2003 (2003)
ISBN 10: 1888451408 ISBN 13: 9781888451405
Used Paperback Quantity: 1
Seller:
Bahamut Media
(Reading, United Kingdom)

Book Description Paperback. Condition: Very Good. Shipped within 24 hours from our UK warehouse. Clean, undamaged book with no damage to pages and minimal wear to the cover. Spine still tight, in very good condition. Remember if you are not happy, you are covered by our 100% money back guarantee. Seller Inventory # 6545-9781888451405

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy Used
US$ 4.45
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 8.81
From United Kingdom to U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds