First published 1987
A nameless reporter for a local newspaper becomes fascinated by three unusual aviators performing at an air show in New Valois, a fictionalized New Orleans. The pilots live in an unconventional arrangement that defies social norms of the 1930s. They exist on the margins of society, traveling from show to show in a world that offers them no stable place. The reporter tries to understand their strange triangle and what drives these rootless wanderers who risk their lives for crowds. Faulkner described these barnstormers as people who existed outside conventional culture and economy, knowing they wouldn't survive long in a changing world. The novel explores whether modern rootlessness can accommodate the enduring values of human connection that anchor Faulkner's greatest works. Set in one of the rare locations outside Yoknapatawpha County, the story examines characters who live beyond the reach of respectability, love, and even divine grace.
Genres: literary-fiction, american-fiction, 20th-century, aviation
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, outsiders
Setting: New Valois, Yoknapatawpha County
Period: 1930s
Library Binding · Bt Bound