The Jealous Kind: A Novel (A Holland Family Novel)

James Lee Burke

$27.99

Publication Date: August 30th, 2016

Publisher:

Simon & Schuster

ISBN:

9781501107207

Pages:

400

Description

From New York Times bestselling author James Lee Burke—an atmospheric, coming-of-age story set in 1952 Texas, as the Korea War rages.

On its surface, life in Houston is as you would expect: drive-in restaurants, souped-up cars, jukeboxes, teenagers discovering their sexuality. But beneath the glitz and superficial normalcy, a class war has begun, and it is nothing like the conventional portrayal of the decade. Against this backdrop Aaron Holland Broussard discovers the poignancy of first love and a world of violence he did not know existed.

When Aaron spots the beautiful and gifted Valerie Epstein fighting with her boyfriend, Grady Harrelson, at a Galveston drive-in, he inadvertently challenges the power of the Mob and one of the richest families in Texas. He also discovers he must find the courage his father had found as an American soldier in the Great War.

Written in evocative prose, The Jealous Kind may prove to be James Lee Burke’s most encompassing work yet. As Aaron undergoes his harrowing evolution from boy to man, we can’t help but recall the inspirational and curative power of first love and how far we would go to protect it.

About the Author

James Lee Burke is a New York Times bestselling author, two-time winner of the Edgar Award, and the recipient of the Guggenheim Fellowship for Creative Arts in Fiction. He’s authored thirty-nine novels and two short story collections. He lives in Missoula, Montana.

Praise for The Jealous Kind: A Novel (A Holland Family Novel)

"This book, with its larger-than-life characters, is a grand adventure, a sweeping love story and a tale of youth recollected in relative tranquility—its noirish reality tinged with a rosy glow, part of which comes from spilled blood."—The Wall Street Journal

“James Lee Burke is the reigning champ of nostalgia noir.”—The New York Times Book Review

"A gorgeous prose stylist."—Stephen King

"What brings the myth-laden story to life is Burke's lyrical prose and his ability to use description to mirror emotion. That and what is perhaps the best last paragrapgh in this author's landmark career."—Booklist, Starred Review

“James Lee Burke is the heavy weight champ, a great American novelist whose work, taken individually or as a whole, is unsurpassed.”—Michael Connelly

“Burke has a hit with this dark, atmospheric story.”—Publishers Weekly

“Burke's gritty coming-of-age tale is a typically entertaining read that may cap a trilogy but also begs for a sequel.”—Kirkus

"Burke's writing [is] Faulkner-esque in its beauty, its feel on the ear like a southern breeze blowing through magnolia blossoms and oil fields."—Missoulian

“For five decades, Burke has created memorable novels that weave exquisite language, unforgettable characters, and social commentary into written tapestries that mirror the contemporary scene. His work transcends genre classification.”—Philadelphia Inquirer

“Burke’s evocative prose remains a thing of reliably fierce wonder.”—Entertainment Weekly

"Burke possesses a unique voice with such deliberate word choice that it creates its own atmosphere."—Lone Star Literary Life

"The master storyteller continues the six-title “Holland Family” series with this visceral coming-of-age set in 1950s Texas. Wealth and privilege clash with poverty and ignorance as young Aaron Broussard finds first love, confronts his foes and saves a friend. This being Burke, the mob lurks in the background. He is best known for his 20-title Dave Robicheaux thriller series, yet his body of work has transcended genre to become what critics and academicians regard as literature."—Sacramento Bee