Synopses & Reviews
Haunted by the vivid horrors of the Vietnam War, exhausted from years spent battling his memories, Napoleon Haskell leaves his North Dakota trailer and moves to Canada. He retreats to a small Ontario town where Henry, the father of his fallen Vietnam comrade, has a home on the shore of a man-made lake. Under the water is the wreckage of what was once the town - and the home where Henry was raised. When Napoleon's daughter arrives, fleeing troubles of her own, she finds her father in the dark twilight of his life, and rapidly slipping into senility. With love and insatiable curiosity, she devotes herself to learning the truth about his life; and through the fog, Napoleon's past begins to emerge.Lyrical and riveting, The Sentimentalists is a story of what lies beneath the surface of everyday life, and of the commanding power of the past. Johanna Skibsrud's first novel marks the debut of a powerful new voice in Canadian fiction.
Review
"A slim debut novel graced by inventive language and a haunting atmosphere. . . . The melancholy mood and restrained language of the story settles deep into a reader's consciousness." NPR
Review
"An intricate story about the crushing power of experience. . . . Skibsrud's assured prose and graceful wordplay elevate this delicately structured story of redemption and forgiveness." starred review
Review
"As a poet, [Johanna Skibsrud] knows how to pare a story down to its essence and infuse every thread with meaning. . . . The tale is so true and poignant that, as in the moment when the narrator flew over the water, readers, too, will want to stay there 'as long as possible.'" Publishers Weekly
Synopsis
In this riveting debut, a daughter attempts to discover the truth about the life of her father, a dying Vietnam veteran haunted by his wartime experiences. Powerful and assured, is a story of what lies beneath the surface of everyday life.
Synopsis
"A hypnotic meditation on memory . . . reaffirms the potential for storytelling to offer clarity and redemption." --
About the Author
Johanna Skibsrud is the author of The Sentimentalists, winner of the 2010 Scotiabank Giller Prize, Canada's most prestigious literary award. Her other books include the poetry collections Late Nights with Wild Cowboys (short listed for the Gerald Lampert Award) and I Do Not Think That I Could Love a Human Being. She lives in Tucson, Arizona.