In 'West,' Carys Davies takes readers on a haunting journey into the American frontier. The story follows a grieving widower who embarks on an expedition to find elusive giants rumored to roam the wilderness. Along the way, he encounters a cast of vivid characters and confronts the raw realities of life and loss. As he navigates the harsh landscape, the line between myth and reality blurs. This beautifully written tale explores themes of obsession and the search for meaning in a world that is both familiar and untamed.
By Carys Davies
Published: 2019
"In the pursuit of the unknown, we often uncover the deepest truths about ourselves."
Named a Best Book of the Year by The Sunday Times (UK) * The Guardian (UK) * The Washington Independent Review of Books * Sydney Morning Herald * The Los Angeles Public Library * The Irish Independent * Real Simple * Finalist for the Rathbones Folio Prize “Carys Davies is a deft, audacious visionary.” —Téa Obreht When widowed mule breeder Cy Bellman reads in the newspaper that colossal ancient bones have been discovered in the salty Kentucky mud, he sets out from his small Pennsylvania farm to see for himself if the rumors are true: that the giant monsters are still alive and roam the uncharted wilderness beyond the Mississippi River. Promising to write and to return in two years, he leaves behind his only daughter, Bess, to the tender mercies of his taciturn sister and heads west. With only a barnyard full of miserable animals and her dead mother’s gold ring to call her own, Bess, unprotected and approaching womanhood, fills lonely days tracing her father’s route on maps at the subscription library and waiting for his letters to arrive. Bellman, meanwhile, wanders farther and farther from home, across harsh and alien landscapes, in reckless pursuit of the unknown. From Frank O’Connor Award winner Carys Davies, West is a spellbinding and timeless epic-in-miniature, an eerie parable of the American frontier and an electric monument to possibility.
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“In the pursuit of the unknown, we often uncover the deepest truths about ourselves.”
West
By Carys Davies
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Carys Davies is an acclaimed British author known for her intricate storytelling and masterful use of language. She has garnered widespread recognition for her short story collections, including 'The Redemption of Galen Pike' and her novel 'West'. Her work often explores themes of loneliness, identity, and the human condition, characterized by a blend of lyrical prose and vivid imagery. Davies's ability to create emotionally resonant narratives has earned her notable accolades, including the Edge Hill Prize and the Jerwood Fiction Uncovered Prize. She holds an MSc in Creative Writing from the University of Edinburgh and teaches creative writing at various institutions.
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