The Lobster Kings Lib/E

Zentner, Alexi

ISBN 10: 1482990946 ISBN 13: 9781482990942

Publisher: Blackstone Publishing, 2014

Synopsis

The Kings family has lived on Loosewood Island for three hundred years, and they've been blessed with the bounty of the sea. But for the Kingses, every blessing comes with a curse. Woody Kings, the leader of the island's lobster fishing community and the family patriarch, teeters on the throne. Cordelia, the oldest of Woody's three daughters, stands to inherit the crown after the death of her brother. To do so, however, she has to fend off meth dealers from the mainland while navigating sibling rivalry and the vulnerable nature of her own heart when she falls in love with her sternman.

A love story and a modern epic in the grand Shakespearean vein that introduces a fiery and unforgettable heroine, The Lobster Kings is the story of Cordelia's struggle to maintain her island's way of life in the face of danger from offshore and the rich, looming, mythic legacy of her family's namesake.

About this title

About the Author:

Alexi Zentner is the author of Touch, which was published in a dozen countries. His fiction has been featured in the Atlantic and Tin House, among other publications. He lives in Ithaca, New York, with his family.

Review:

Confirms what Touch already prophesied: Alexi Zentner is one of the greatest literary architects and mythmakers working today.

-- "Tea Obreht, New York Times bestselling author"

The Lobster Kings is a powerhouse of a novel. Alexi Zentner proves himself to be a writer of the first rank with this story of one woman's determination to carry on her family's legacy in the face of the encroaching pressures of modernity and the strictures of a patriarchal culture. The bold and endearingly stubborn Cordelia Kings is a protagonist we can root for, flaws and all, as she struggles to reconcile the past with the present.

-- "Ben Fountain, National Book Critics Circle Award-winning author"

Just as compelling as the dragons, mermaids, and selkies that may inhabit the waters of Loosewood Island are its year-round residents, besieged by tourists, art historians, and drug smugglers. With a knowing nod to Lear, The Lobster Kings follows a patriarch's fading powers and a dynasty's uncertain future in the face of a changing world. As in his wonderful debut, Touch, Alexi Zentner gives us a family saga that contains the origin story of a magical, once-timeless place where the past and present must inevitably collide.

-- "Stewart O'Nan, New York Times bestselling author"

An overridingly strong novel.

-- "New York Journal of Books"

Award-winning Zentner's literary tour de force takes hold of the reader's imagination and doesn't let go. Extraordinary storytelling not to be missed.

-- "Library Journal (starred review)"

Brutal and beautiful...[The] fusion of myth and mission, fury and beauty, as well as the palpable sense of place in this unique corner of the world add up to a memorable tale.

-- "Publishers Weekly"

With its strong female lead and its evocative setting, this could well be Zentner's breakout book.

-- "Booklist"

Campbell's versatility is on display as she deals with the wide range of characters of many ages and personalities. She's particularly adept at portraying the aging of the father and Cordelia's corresponding growth as she becomes the leader of the family. Campbell conveys the strong emotions the characters have for each other and for their way of life.

-- "AudioFile"

About this edition

• Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 1482990946
• ISBN 13: 9781482990942
• Binding: Audio CD