Monuments: A Novel (Sandhill Chronicles) [Hardcover]

Clay Reynolds (Author)

Book Description

Series: Sandhill Chronicles | Publication Date: July 1, 2000

“This is Reynolds’s fourth novel about the dusty, hot, and sleepy West Texas town of Agatite, a faded stewpot of roiling passions, savage gossip, and crooked politics. . . . This warm and entertaining story is solidly written and vividly atmospheric. Reynolds spins a compelling yarn.” —Publishers Weekly “Although [Reynolds] is not as well known outside of Texas as Larry McMurtry and Cormac McCarthy, he has probed and deciphered the nature of the past at levels deeper than theirs . . . and in his new novel, Monuments, the results of his quest are brought into apposite and poignant focus.” —Bloomsbury Review “Fourteen-year-old Hugh Rudd had his summer planned: mow lawns, practice baseball, buy a new mountain bike, get ready for high school. But the Burlington Northern Railroad’s determination to demolish the Hendershot Grocery Ware-house, a symbol of Hugh’s small Texas home town since the turn of the century . . . makes Hugh re-examine his plans. . . . The final confrontation is both action-packed and satisfying.” —Booklist “Hugh Rudd learns during one summer in his small north Texas town that nothing lasts forever—especially innocence.” —San Antonio Express-News “Secures [Reynolds’s] place among fine Texas and American writers. . . . A wonderfully satisfying reading experience.” —Review of Texas Books “There is no doubt of the author’s keen understanding of what makes a small town tick.” —Denver Post

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Following Players, this is Reynolds's fourth novel about the dusty, hot and sleepy West Texas town of Agatite, a faded stewpot of roiling passion, savage gossip and crooked politics in the late 1980s. Fourteen-year-old Hugh Rudd wants to mow lawns over the summer to earn enough cash to buy a mountain bike before starting high school, but his plans go way off track when the Burlington Northern railroad tries to destroy the Hendershot Grocery Warehouse, a huge, ugly concrete building that is a town landmark, to make way for a new switching station. Despite having no real historical significance, the building becomes a lightning rod for preservationists, do-gooders and anyone with a grudge against the railroad and corporate greed. Before long, the entire town is in an uproar, tempers flare and the wheels come off this seemingly quiet, peaceful community. And Hugh is right in the middle of the mess. The boy befriends old Jonas Wilson, the town reprobate and "bogeyman," who, contrary to his reputation, has a lot of wisdom to impartAnot least of which concerns the secrets Agatite would like to see buried in the rubble of the old warehouse. The building is really just a cover for a corrupt political power grab that Hugh and Jonas try to expose and prevent, but they face hate, lies, deceit and the destruction of several families before the wrecker is due. This warm and entertaining story is solidly written and vividly atmospheric. Reynolds spins a compelling yarn demonstrating that friendship is the only monument that endures in a world where events can go out of control. (July)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Fourteen-year-old Hugh Rudd had his summer planned: mow lawns, practice baseball, buy a new mountain bike, get ready for high school. But the Burlington Northern Railroad's determination to demolish the Hendershot Grocery Warehouse, a symbol of Hugh's small Texas home town since the turn of the century, and an unexpected friendship with the town "loony" , old Jonas Wilson, make Hugh re-examine his plans. As the locals gear up to stop the railroad, long-held secrets about both the town and Hugh's own family come to light, and Hugh is caught up in the conflict. Reynolds builds suspense more gradually than he did in Players (1997), choosing, instead, to focus on the inner life of a small Texas town and a teenager's journey to manhood. But even with less overt tension, the final confrontation is both action-packed and satisfying. Candace Smith
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 394 pages
• Publisher: Texas Tech University Press (July 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0896724336
• ISBN-13: 978-0896724334
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,041,264 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Small Town Revelations, November 16, 2000

By 

C. Wright (Iowa City, IA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Monuments: A Novel (Sandhill Chronicles) (Hardcover)

In his third Sandhill Chronicle, Monuments, Clay Reynolds tones down the terror and enmity present in Agatite (vol. 2) without returning to the quieter chill of The Vigil (vol. 1). Fourteen-year-old Hugh Rudd comes of age in the midst of his hometown's fight to save its old Hendershot Grocery Warehouse building from destruction by the railroad company executives. Like other boys on the cusp of manhood, Hugh must learn how to relate to women, how to fight with but eventually accept his father, and how to smoke, drink, and question authority. Hugh does admirably well, making this the most positive of all the Sandhill Chronicles in terms of happy endings for the main characters. But the town of Agatite does not fare so well. Caught up in a battle with "big business" (Burlington Northern Railroad), each citizen uses the cause of historical preservation for personal gain. They all use the chaos created during the fight for the building to jockey for new positions of power. Before long, long-held town secrets are being gossiped about in the streets. Learning to deal with this gossip, especially the stories about alcoholism, sexual infidelities, and cruelties of the people he has known all his life (including his own parents), is part of Hugh's maturation process. Clay Reynolds writes realistic, gritty stories about small-town life. If you haven't read one of the Sandhill Chronicles, this is a good one to start with.

5.0 out of 5 stars The town's battle becomes your battle.., November 17, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Monuments: A Novel (Sandhill Chronicles) (Hardcover)

Clay Reynolds does an excellent job of setting up the characters and making you feel like one of the town members in Monuments. You have a tendency of rushing through the pages in order to discover what Hugh must face next. You soon realize there is more to the book than a battle to save a landmark. This is a must read!!!