First published 2012
A man stands before his mother in a Danish town, clutching not a gift but a carefully prepared speech. He has planned to extend his hand to her, both literally and figuratively. His words will invoke the Rio Grande, that vast river separating two worlds and cultures. He will explain how difficult it becomes to cross from one bank to another, possible only for desperate bandits fleeing justice. For too long, he and his mother have camped on opposite shores, the distance so great they cannot hear each other's voices. Time itself flows like a river between them. As this confrontation unfolds, buried dreams and disappointments surface like wounds reopening. The author of "Out Stealing Horses" delivers an intimate portrait of a mother and son attempting to span the gulf that years have carved between them.
Genres: literary-fiction, 20th-century, 21st-century, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: estranged-family, parent-child-conflict
Setting: Denmark
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
278 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Folio