Fall Line [Hardcover]

Joe Samuel Starnes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2011

December 1, 1955. Floodgates are poised to slam shut on a concrete dam straddling the Oogasula River, creating a lake that will submerge a forgotten crossroads and thousands of acres of woodland in rural Georgia. Fall Line unfolds in one day's action, as viewed through the eyes of Elmer Blizzard, a troubled ex-deputy; Mrs. McNulty, a lonely widow who refuses to leave her doomed shack by the river; her loyal, aging dos, Percy; and a rapacious politician, State Senator Aubrey Terrell, for whom the new lake is named.

A story of land grabs, wounded families, bitterness, hypocrisy, violence, and revenge in the changing South, Fall Line is populated by complex characters who want to do the right thing but don't know how. Starnes's novel is a memorable, beautiful, and heartbreaking tale of a backwater hamlet's damaged people and transformed landscape.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Starnes's evocatively Southern story may well have readers wanting to check their shoes for red mud or find an old hound to pat. Fall Line's message transcends region, however, leaving us at once troubled by man's sins against nature and himself, yet knowing somehow that both will endure." --James C. Cobb, author of The South and America since World War II

"If you liked Deliverance by James Dickey, you'll like Fall Line by Joe Samuel Starnes. The Oogasula is about to be dammed by the Georgia Power Company and to hell with the folks whose houses and graves are going to be flooded. Some people take the money. One of them takes the law into his own hands. This novel is vividly alive with people (and a great dog) and the river." --John Casey, author of Compass Rose and Spartina, winner of the National Book Award

"If you liked Deliverance by James Dickey, you'll like Fall Line by Joe Samuel Starnes. The Oogasula is about to be dammed by the Georgia Power Company and to hell with the folks whose houses and graves are going to be flooded. Some people take the money. One of them takes the law into his own hands. This novel is vividly alive with people (and a great dog) and the river." --John Casey, author of Compass Rose and Spartina, winner of the National Book Award

About the Author

Joe Samuel Starnes is a native of Alabama who grew up in Georgia and has lived in New Jersey and Philadelphia for the past decade. His first novel, Calling, was published in 2005, and his journalism has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and various magazines. He has also published essays, short stories, and poems in literary journals. A graduate of the University of Georgia and Rutgers University, he was awarded a fellowship to the 2006 Sewanee Writer's Conference. Starnes lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: NewSouth Books (October 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1588382656
• ISBN-13: 978-1588382658
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #986,557 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I was born in Alabama and grew up in Cedartown, Georgia but I have lived in New Jersey and Philadelphia for the past decade. My first novel, Calling, was published in 2005. NewSouth Books will publish Fall Line, my second novel, in November 2011. I've had journalism appear in The New York Times, The Washington Post and various magazines, as well as essays, short stories, and poems in literary journals. I am a graduate of the University of Georgia and Rutgers University in Newark, and was awarded a fellowship to the 2006 Sewanee Writers' Conference.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Fall Line, January 24, 2012

By 

Chuck Spencer - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Fall Line (Hardcover)

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Sam Starnes novel Fall Line. Sam has a great way of weaving the different points of view together to create a story that captures and holds your interest. He is a gifted storyteller.

5.0 out of 5 stars Well written & compelling story., January 4, 2012

By 

GThompson - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fall Line (Hardcover)

I enjoyed reading this book very much. It has desriptive prose that makes you feel as if you have been a part of the story your whole life. It reminded me of the late, great Southern writer Larry Brown and the way he would set a scene by describing street names, vegetation, weather, character memories as if they were your own, etc. until you were fully immersed in every part of the story. This book also has a great narrative full of very flawed characters that you come to care about even though their actions are sometimes despicable and tragic. It also has a great dog character that is made real by the author's avoidance of treating him as some good hearted, heroic figure. This dog is definately what nature intended it to be. I highly recommend this book.

5.0 out of 5 stars Well-written and enjoyable read, January 3, 2012

By 

KAlsup - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fall Line (Hardcover)

Well-written and enjoyable read! The Georgia small-town setting becomes one of the main characters in this book and it is masterfully described. You feel yourself mourning for the flooded land. The old dog's point of view brings a new and honest perspective to the changes underway in the area apart from the politics, selfishness and resentment prominent in many of the human characters.