Excerpt from El Paso by Winston Groom, plus links to reviews, author biography & more

Arthur looked at him, stupefied. It was a question he'd never been asked before.

"Haven't you anything in mind, Arthur?" Beatie asked.

Arthur shook his head.

"All right, then we'll just have to find something, won't we?" Shaughnessy said merrily. Arthur stared straight ahead, not knowing what to think.

The motorcar slowly wound its way out of South Boston, crossing a river, and through the city proper. Arthur had never actually seen the city—the real Boston—with its stately stone buildings and men in expensive chesterfields and top hats. A place of big parks with enormous trees and manicured lawns. He unabashedly looked around as Mr. Shaughnessy pointed things out to him: the State House, the Revere Monument—and before he knew it, they were . . . home.

Bomba pulled the car up to the front of a tall, elegant brick house five stories high. It had an enormous bay window in front and the other tall windows were flanked with shiny green shutters. Bomba seemed to scowl as he opened the car door, but as Arthur stepped out and faced the house his mouth dropped open and Bomba beamed like a harvest moon. A set of white marble steps led to the front door, which was adorned with gleaming brass.

"Bomba will put your things in your room, Arthur," Beatie said as they climbed the steps. Arthur could see his reflection in the plate of the brass entrance knocker. A maid opened the door and they stepped inside. Arthur didn't realize his mouth had dropped open, but he had the presence of mind to remove his cap. the hallway was illuminated by a great crystal chandelier that was gaslit. To the left was an elegant parlor room covered with a tremendous Aubusson carpet; elegant and plush chairs and sofas were scattered around among tables of highly polished wood. To the right was a room with a grand marble fireplace flickering warmly. On the floor sat a richly colored Persian rug, upon which stood deep leather furniture and plush chairs with ottomans. Trophy animal heads were a$xed to the walls, along with hung paintings of racehorses, yachting events, and shooting scenes; African spears and shields adorned the desk, as did the bleached skull of something: ape— possibly human.

"that is Mr. Shaughnessy's room," Beatie explained. "He goes in there to smoke cigars."

they walked farther through the house, past a tremendous dining room, marked by three sparkling chandeliers and a table that could have seated fifty. they passed other rooms, too, including what Arthur observed through a slightly cracked door was an inside toilet. Seeing that Arthur had taken notice, Beatie asked cheerfully, "Would you like to freshen up?"

Arthur nodded, not knowing exactly what this meant, but Beatie opened the door to the toilet and showed him in. Arthur stood inside the little room, lit by gas lamps, which made it warm and inviting, unlike the outdoor jakes of the orphanage. He stepped up to the toilet and relieved himself. When he finished, he buttoned up and stood staring into the bowl, so different from the black holes into which lime was poured every day or so. this bowl held the water—all of it. there was a pipe leading behind the toilet to a porcelain tank on the wall and a velvet cord with a pull attached to it. Arthur wondered what it was for. He stood for a long time until he heard Beatie outside:

"Arthur—are you all right?"

He stepped back into the hall, hat in hand. "Yes, ma'am."

Beatie understood. Since she had not heard the toilet flush, she stepped into the lavatory and pulled the cord. the sound startled Arthur.

"See?" she said.

Three

The next morning, Mrs. Shaughnessy awakened Arthur and got him properly dressed for Christmas, the likes of which he had never experienced even in his wildest fantasies. He'd never seen a tree like the one in the center of the Shaughnessys' great back room. the room overlooked the Charles River, and the tree stood in front of a broad bay of windows. Silver and brass ornaments, shiny glass balls, and strings like pearls were draped from every branch. the tree at the orphanage only had candy canes, apples, and strings of popcorn—all things that would be eaten later. But atop the Shaughnessys' tree was a fine porcelain angel with real white bird's wings, the whole thing lit by dozens of tiny candles in clip-on brass holders, and there were presents for Arthur under the tree.

Excerpted from El Paso by Winston Groom. Copyright © 2016 by Winston Groom. With permission of the publisher, Liveright Publishing Corporation. All rights reserved.