Friday, October 9, 2009

Spooner ~ Book Review and Giveaway!

Everyone hopes the world to have that one person in life who despite having no understanding of you still stands by you, supports you, and is desperately determined to push you along the right path though you may go kicking and screaming. I believe one could term this unconditional love. Spooner may just have found this in his step-father! A relationship perhaps gone un-analyzed, unrealized, and unacknowledged by both step-father and step-son.

Have you ever heard a tale so crazy or bizarre you just knew it had to be true because it would be impossible to make up? The characters in Pete Dexter's novel Spooner are so quirky they can not help but appear believable.

Spooner was born in Milledgeville, Georgia in 1956.

"As it happened, Spooner was second out the door that morning, a few moments behind his better-looking fraternal twin, Clifford, who, in the way these things often worked out for Spooner's mother, arrived dead yet precious as life itself, and in the years of visitation ahead was a comfort to her in a way that none of the others (one before Spooner, and two further down the line) could ever be. And was forever, secretly, the favourite child."(Dexter 2009:4)

Perhaps Spooner spent his entire life living with this notion of inadequacy. Spooner, the black sheep, of a family of intellectually advanced children had only one ally, his step-father, Calmer Ottosson. Calmer an ex-naval officer's marriage to a woman who happened to be Spooner's mother seemed his only tie to the boy but a love equal to that of a parent linked the two polar opposites in a poignant and inexplicable way.

Brimming with humourous and quirky characters against a backdrop of dysfunction Dexter's story of a troubled youth turned troubled and violent adult reveals a moving relationship hidden beneath the surface of the everyday lives of his characters. Dysfunctional, humourous, and clever, this novel celebrates the significance of patience and resilience in any parental relationship in a way readers will not soon forget!

To share a peek at this uniquely quirky novel, Spooner by Pete Dexter enter to win one of five copies up for grabs here at Northern Mama thanks to Miriam of Hachette Book Group.
To Enter:
  • Follow Northern Mama through Google friends connect or Become a Facebook Fan {Required}

Extra Entries:

  • Subscribe via Email
  • Follow on Twitter @northernmama35
  • Grab My Button
  • Blog about this giveaway with a link back here {please include the link to your post}

Giveaway open to US and Canadian residents. Giveaway closes October 16th, 2009 10:00pm MT. For further details read Giveaway Rules.

post signature

33 comments:

  1. Thank you for the entries.

    freda.mans[at]sympatico.ca

    +1 I follow via Google Connect.

    +1 I follow on Twitter: @fredalicious

    +1 Your button is on my blog. http://fredasvoice.blogspot.com

    +1 I blogged: http://fredamans.blogspot.com/2009/10/contest-links_09.html

    Happy Thanksgiving!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I am a follower and love to read count me in! Looks good!
    Carla
    cpullum(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm a follower.
    dftrew(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  4. I subscribe
    dftrew(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  5. After reading the review I would like to win
    this book.

    I am an email subscriber

    cenya2 at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  6. I am a follower by google reader, please
    count me in.

    cenya2 at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  7. I'm a follower
    copperllama at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  8. I subscribe via email
    copperllama at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  9. I follow Northernmama35 on Twitter
    copperllama
    copperllama at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  10. I am following your blog on Google Friend Connect (username Nelsby).
    Thanks!
    Aimee
    sierranelsby (at) gmail (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  11. I am a Facebook fan (Aimee Waerhouse).
    Thanks!
    Aimee
    sierranelsby (at) gmail (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  12. I am following you on Twitter (username Nelsby).
    Thanks!
    Aimee
    sierranelsby (at) gmail (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  13. I subscribe to your blog feed via email.
    Thanks!
    Aimee
    sierranelsby (at) gmail (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  14. foloow you through google friend

    ReplyDelete
  15. i follow

    thanks

    wadesherry@hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  16. I Follow Northern Mama through Google friends connect and I am a Facebook Fan.

    I love to read all kinds of books. Please enter me. Thanks so much.

    username for FB is cheryl hodgkins

    cherdon@sympatico.ca

    ReplyDelete
  17. Subscriber via Email

    cherdon@sympatico.ca

    ReplyDelete
  18. I Follow you on Twitter @northernmama35

    username is iamcherdon

    cherdon@sympatico.ca

    ReplyDelete
  19. I follow on google freind connect
    i follow on twitter- nicjosemm
    reneetaylor at sympatico dot ca

    ReplyDelete
  20. I follow

    Please include me in your giveaway


    Canadian Contests, Freebies, Coupons, Deals, Games and Chat - join us at http://forum.coolcanucks.ca/


    bluebelle0367(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete