“Masterful . . . Somewhere between Faulkner and Conroy.”—The Denver Post
In Ruin Creek, David Payne revisits North Carolina’s windswept Outer Banks and the Madden family. Writing in the contrapuntal voices of eleven-year-old Joey and his parents, May and Jimmy, David Payne portrays a family that breaks apart, heals, and endures. Joey bears the burden of his parents’ increasingly unhappy union. As he struggles to cope with his fractured family life, Joey turns to his grandfather who explains that “a time may come when a person has to let go of what he loves in order to save himself.”
Imbued in Payne’s trademark lyrical prose and psychological acuity, this is a novel “full of life, full of wisdom, full of words that singe, sing, and somehow console” (The Boston Globe).
“The most gifted novelist of his generation.”—The Dallas Morning News
“A powerful, lyrical novel that is a joy to read.”—The New York Times Book Review
About the Author
David Payne is the critically acclaimed author of five novels and a memoir, Barefoot to Avalon. He attended Philips Exeter Academy and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His books have been translated into many languages and have been international bestsellers. He lives in Hillsboro, North Carolina.
