Description

Must a child’s past define their future?

‘Stark and beautiful . . . I haven’t read anything this good in a long time’ – Rachel Joyce, author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

Set on the rugged plains of South Dakota, The Distance Home is the story of Rene and Leon, two children who grow up side by side but end up on very different paths. Rene is clever, athletic, aggressive, a go-getter, the apple of her father’s eye; while Leon is shy, tender-hearted, a stutterer, constantly struggling for acknowledgement. They both possess a talent for dance, but it is a gift their father adores in his daughter and loathes in his son.

A heartbreaking saga of familiar turmoil, a child’s desire for acceptance, and the ways in which our parents shape the adults we become, Paula Saunders’ The Distance Home is a breathtaking new examination of the American dream and the eternal question of how any of us can finally be free.

‘A heartfelt tale of brutal parental love’ The Times

Publisher Review

Beautifully written, atmospheric and emotionally powerful * Northern Echo * A tender book * Independent i * Extraordinary . . . beautiful, evocative . . . The Distance Home is heart-breaking and full of compassion -- Dana Spiotta, author of Innocents and Others Honest, and true . . . this soul-searching first novel offers everywhere that most mysterious and essential of artistic achievements: heart. -- Douglas Unger, author of Leaving the Land and Voices from Silence The author's compassion for her characters shines through in this honest story * Library Journal * Penetrating and insightful * Publishers Weekly * An exquisite, searing portrait of family . . . The Distance Home will leave readers eager for more from this extraordinarily talented writer * Booklist (starred review) * Beautiful, tender . . . fans of Elizabeth Strout will love it * Prima Magazine * Bracing and beautiful . . . it will break your heart and open it up -- Maile Meloy, author of Do Not Become Alarmed Incredibly assured * Observer * Slow-burning and contemplative . . . the emotional stakes are nevertheless high . . . exquisitely rendered by Saunders in long, perfect sentences * Daily Telegraph * Superb * Irish Times * Evocative, moving and deeply immersive . . . There is an undeniable beauty to this epic portrayal of the complex and intimate nature of human relationships - well worth a read * Woman & Home * Smart and empathetic, highlighting how prejudice can make us forget about love * Elle Magazine * Saunders skillfully illuminates how time heals certain wounds while deepening others, and her depiction of aging is viscerally affecting . . . The Distance Home becomes a mediation of the violence of American ambition - and a powerful call for self-examination * New York Times * Riveting . . . it kept me turning pages in the wee hours. One of the best books I've read in years - destined to become a classic. -- Mary Karr, author of The Liars' Club Moving and startling . . . a true, and rare, accomplishment -- Michael Cunningham, author of The Hours Sensitively imagined and perceptively told . . . affecting and rewarding * Daily Mail * A heartfelt tale of brutal parental love . . . one of the most convincing portraits of a mother-daughter bond that I have read . . . generous, humane * The Times * Stark and beautiful . . . luminous . . . Heartbreaking, full of compassion . . . I haven't read anything this good in a long time -- Rachel Joyce, author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry Deeply involving . . . rich, shimmering, sensuous -- Jennifer Egan, author of A Visit From the Goon Squad