Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Nov 2013
320 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publication Information
A Thousand Acres and Empire Falls meet during the present hydrofracking controversy as a beleaguered patriarch must decide the fate of his land and children in this enveloping family drama.
The Joyner family sits atop prime Marcellus Shale. When landmen for the natural gas companies begin to lease property all around the family's hundred acres, the Joyners start to take notice. Undecided on whether or not to lease the family land, Frank Joyner must weigh his heirs' competing motivations. All of this culminates as a looming history of family tragedy resurfaces.
A sprawling family novel, Fractures follows each Joyner as the controversial hydrofracking issue slowly exacerbates underlying passions and demons. With echoes of Jonathan Franzen's Freedom, Fractures takes its reader deep into the beating heart and hearth of a family divided.
"Starred Review. Herrin's deeply contemplative examination of this contentious topic is less about the environmental fallout from an invasive destruction of the land and more about the emotional fragility of a family who feels all too deeply the loss of a way of life." - Booklist
"Sadness and suicide are in its genes, and both inform these characters' behavior and choices, as well as the plot, which unfortunately moves far too slowly. " - Publishers Weekly
"While fracking is a foregone conclusion in this beautifully crafted novel, the riveting drama lies in the buried emotions that are unearthed for better and worse." - Kirkus
"There is tragedy here, but there are also inspiring moments of compassion and kindness. A deeply moving novel that is highly recommended for fans of literary fiction." - Library Journal
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Lamar Herrin is an American Novelist. He has authored several novels including The Lies Boy Tell that became a 1994 made-for-television drama starring Kirk Douglas and Craig Nelson.
His short stories have appeared in the New Yorker, Harper's, Epoch, and Paris Review, which awarded him its Aga Kahn fiction prize. He is also the recipient of a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, winner of the Associated Writing Program's Award for the Novel, and is Professor Emeritus of creative writing and contemporary literature at Cornell University.
His most recent works include Romancing Spain, the story of how he met and fell in love with his wife of 30 years, and Fractures published in 2013.
He and his wife, Amparo, split their time between Ithaca, New York and Valencia, Spain.
... Full Biography
Author Interview
Link to Lamar Herrin's Website
Name Pronunciation
Lamar Herrin: luh-MAR
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