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From the author of Pay It Forward comes a novel that is both a compelling drama and a deeply moving love story, a contemporary reinterpretation of the Book of Job. Catherine Ryan
Hyde is a magnificent storyteller, an expert at plot and pacing
and voice. But it is her protagonist, Hayden Reese, who makes "Electric
God" a classic in the truest possible sense. "Electric God" is the
answer to a prayer - a heroic, superbly crafted novel worth reading
again and again and again. "Electric God"
is a complex, tightly constructed novel of genuine pathos, yet its
tone is deceptively light, as though it were poking fun at the very
concept of allegory. Ryan Hyde spins her tale so effortlessly that
the reader closes the book with a quiet sense of elation, and only
later notices that "Electric God" is still there etched on the psyche,
like the imprint of a lightning bolt upon the eye. The natural
cadences of Hyde's prose; her clever, realistic dialogue; her sharp
descriptions of hard-scrabble country; and her warm humor raise
the novel.to the level of a complex tale of one man's struggle to
make sense of life. Inspirational rather than preachy or sentimental,
the book wields the emotional power to be expected from a story
of family, dogs, justice and self-reliance. |
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Hyde's follow-up to
PAY IT FORWARD is a beautifully crafted story of one man who had to lose
everything before he could find forgiveness and redemption. Hyde is inspiring
and uplifting without sentimentality.
--Carolyn Kubisz, Booklist
A thought-provoking,
original and honest novel. It is a novel of struggle, of small gains hard
won. It has its share of great scenes, some of them comic and some not.
I think anyone who reads it will remember the incident of the pennies
on the tower -- I won't say any more -- for a long time.
-- Mark Johnson, San Jose Mercury-News
In Hayden Reese, Hyde has created an exceptionally complex and unforgettable character, and she tells his story skillfully in remarkably clean, economical prose. A worthy successor to Pay It Forward. Michele Leber, Library Journal
"Electric God" is also one of the most entertaining novels I've read this year. Imagine if Fanny Flagg had written the Old Testament. Ron Charles, The Christian Science Monitor
"Electric God" is...gritty
and full of surprises...openly inspirational but not cloying...with humor
and a marked lack of sentimentality.
--Elizabeth Teachout, The Baltimore Sun
Hyde's newest work
is a blessing. [Electric God] is imbued with hope as well as despair and
is a wonderful piece of literature.
--Tracey Kimbrell, Baton Rouge, Louisiana Advocate