Garcia's Heart: A Novel (Thomas Dunne Books) [Paperback]

Liam Durcan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 3, 2009 | Series: Thomas Dunne Books

Winner of the Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Novel
In this enthralling debut novel, neurologist Patrick Lazerenko travels to The Hague to witness the war crimes trial of his mentor, Hernan García, a Honduran doctor accused of involvement in torture. As García’s supposed crimes are revealed, Patrick wrestles with what truth there may be behind the accusations, haunted as he is by his own youthful memories of the man and his family. But it isn’t until García’s shocking intentions come to light that Patrick begins to realize that however sophisticated his knowledge of the brain may be, it will take more for him to understand the human heart.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Neurologist Durcan (A Short Journey by Car) dissects the ethics involved when politics, medicine and violence collide in this finely wrought novel about a neurologist turned biotech entrepreneur who travels to The Hague to witness his mentor's war crimes trial. Patrick Lazerenko is a punk teen in Montreal when he first meets Hernan García, the Spanish immigrant owner of a neighborhood grocery store. Caught trying to vandalize Hernan's store, Patrick is roped into working off the damages and soon finds himself attached to the García family. When Patrick sees Hernan's backroom medical consultations with local immigrants, he is inspired to become a doctor himself. Years later, a journalist exposes Hernan—dubbed the Angel of Lepaterique—as having been mixed up in the CIA-backed torture of subversive citizens in Honduras in the 1980s. Parallels to Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo are acute (and even overtly identified) as Hernan is accused of witnessing and aiding in detainee torture. Subplots involving a devious political think-tank, the long-expired romance between Patrick and Hernan's daughter and the goings-on at Patrick's company, provide a rich backdrop to the trial, but the centerpiece is the mélange of complex feelings that arise within Patrick, who finds himself simultaneously condemning and rooting for Hernan. (Nov.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

Praise for Garcia's Heart:

“This is one literary novel that reads like a thriller.” —Details

“García’s Heart beats with a riveting blend of science and suspense, perfect for fans of David Baldacci and John le Carré.” —Booklist (starred review)

“Durcan’s outstanding debut novel walks a taut line between skillful thrill and philosophical novel of ideas. . . . He already writes with an ease reminiscent of Graham Greene.” —Library Journal

“Like a cross between John le Carré and Ian McEwan, García’s Heart treads the line between an elegant, elegiac novel of ideas and a sophisticated political thriller.” —Pauls Toutonghi, author of Red Weather

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; Second Edition edition (February 3, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312539320
• ISBN-13: 978-0312539320
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 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: #2,463,026 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth A Lot More., October 20, 2010

By 

Charles Loomis (Gloversville, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Garcia's Heart: A Novel (Thomas Dunne Books) (Paperback)

My wife picked this up for me in a dollar store. She leafed through it and thought I would like it. Like it? I loved it. What a wonderful book. You'll be drawn in to it like iron filings to a magnet. What a talented writer and what a fascinating story! I don't think my wife ever got a better bargain. I'm so happy she bought it for me. "Keep on keeping on" Liam Durcan!

4.0 out of 5 stars Precise writing with relevance to current events, June 29, 2008

By 

Scott George (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Garcia's Heart: A Novel (Hardcover)

The first thing I was stunned by when I started reading this first work by Liam Durcan was the precision in the style of writing and the structure of the novel. His character development is compelling and his use of symbolism is not overapplied (although some are a little obvious). I imagine this novel would be categorized as a thriller, but the most fascinating aspect is the psychological impact of the events on the main character.

Duncan is clearly making parallels to the treatment of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib. The refreshing part is that his treatment is not heavyhanded. There is moralizing, but it is of the self-examining type.

This is a very strong effort by a new writer. I highly recommend.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "García's Heart" is a carefully crafted shell game of a book., February 6, 2008

By 

Kenneth D. Penn (Miami Beach, FL USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Garcia's Heart: A Novel (Hardcover)

Liam Durcan takes the reader into the head of Patrick Lazerenko, the graffiti artist teen, the young doctor and the neuroscientist working to help Globomart (the world's largest retailer) read the minds of its customers. With extensive references to Montreal's NDG area, Den Haag and loaded with medical facts, this book continually peaked my interest, keeping me online looking at maps and information to fill in the voids in my knowledge. What a treat to be entertained and motivated to learn at the same time.

The character development is captivating. Masterfully crafted, the twists in the book could be anticipated in retrospect, but the magic of the author is that they never are. A good solid read, "Garcia's Heart" will have me eagerly searching for more work from this author.