Wally Lamb delves into complex psychological landscapes and moral dilemmas, his work often exploring themes of identity, family, and the pursuit of redemption. With a knack for raw emotional truth and a keen eye for the human condition, he draws readers into stories of characters grappling with trauma and seeking reconciliation. His literary style is marked by vivid storytelling and a profound exploration of his characters' inner struggles, making him a significant voice in contemporary fiction. Lamb's commitment to writing, particularly his work with incarcerated women, highlights his deep interest in voices often overlooked.
"From the New York Times bestselling author of Oprah Bookclub Picks I Know This Much Is True and She's Come Undone comes the heart wrenching story of a young father who, after an unbearable tragedy, reckons with the possibility of atonement for the unforgivable"--
#1 New York Times Bestseller and Oprah Book Club selection "Thoughtful . . . heart-wrenching . . . . An exercise in soul-baring storytelling—with the soul belonging to 20th-century America itself. It's hard to read and to stop reading, and impossible to forget." — USA Today Dominick Birdsey, a forty-year-old housepainter living in Three Rivers, Connecticut, finds his subdued life greatly disturbed when his identical twin brother Thomas, a paranoid schizophrenic, commits a shocking act of self-mutilation. Dominick is forced to care for his brother as well as confront dark secrets and pain he has buried deep within himself—a journey of the soul that takes him beyond his blue-collar New England town to Sicily’s Mount Etna, the birthplace of his grandfather and namesake. Coming to terms with his life and lineage, Dominick struggles to find forgiveness and finally rebuild himself beyond the haunted shadow of his troubled twin. I Know This Much Is True is a masterfully told story of alienation and connection, power and abuse, devastation and renewal—an unforgettable masterpiece.
In a stunning work of insight and hope, New York Times bestselling author Wally Lamb once again reveals his unmatched talent for finding humanity in the lost and lonely and celebrates the transforming power of the written word. For several years, Lamb has taught writing to a group of women prisoners at York Correctional Institution in Connecticut. In this unforgettable collection, the women of York describe in their own words how they were imprisoned by abuse, rejection, and their own self-destructive impulses long before they entered the criminal justice system. Yet these are powerful stories of hope and healing, told by writers who have left victimhood behind. In his moving introduction, Lamb describes the incredible journey of expression and self-awareness the women took through their writing and shares how they challenged him as a teacher and as a fellow author. Couldn't Keep It to Myself is a true testament to the process of finding oneself and working toward a better day.
The transformative power of writing is at the heart of this collection, showcasing the voices of women from a maximum-security prison. Through their essays, participants in Wally Lamb's workshop confront personal fears and envision new possibilities for their lives. Each piece is a testament to resilience, revealing diverse experiences that underscore the potential for self-awareness and change through storytelling. Startling and inspiring, these intimate narratives highlight the profound impact of the written word on personal growth and healing.
In this extraordinary coming-of-age odyssey, Wally Lamb invites us to hitch a wild ride on a journey of love, pain, and renewal with the most heartbreakingly comical heroine to come along in years. Meet Dolores Price. She's 13, wise-mouthed but wounded, having bid her childhood goodbye. Stranded in front of her bedroom TV, she spends the next few years nourishing herself with the Mallomars, potato chips, and Pepsi her anxious mother supplies. When she finally orbits into young womanhood at 257 pounds, Dolores is no stronger and life is no kinder. But this time she's determined to rise to the occasion and give herself one more chance before she really goes under.
The story explores the aftermath of a tragic school shooting through the experiences of Caelum Quirk and his wife, Maureen, who both work at Columbine High School. After Maureen survives a harrowing ordeal during the attack, their attempt to escape to a seemingly safe family farm in Connecticut reveals that the trauma and chaos from the event linger, impacting their lives in profound ways. The narrative delves into themes of survival, the search for safety, and the enduring effects of violence.
As Annie Oh's wedding day approaches, she finds herself at the mercy of hopes and fears about the momentous change ahead. She has just emerged from a twenty-five year marriage to Orion Oh, which produced three children, but is about to marry a woman named Viveca, a successful art dealer, who specializes in outsider art. Trying to reach her ex-husband, she keeps assuring everyone that he is fine. Except she has no idea where he is. But when Viveca discovers a famous painting by a mysterious local outside artist, who left this world in more than mysterious circumstances, Orion, Annie and Viveca's new dynamic becomes fraught.
From the author of the international number one bestseller I KNOW THIS MUCH IS TRUE comes a magnificent novel of a life turned upside-down by tragedy - and the search for a way to carry on in the aftermath.
The story centers on Felix Funicello, a film scholar who operates a movie club in a historic vaudeville theater. His life takes a surreal turn when he encounters the ghost of Lois Weber, a pioneering director from the silent film era. Lois guides Felix through a nostalgic journey, allowing him to relive pivotal moments from his past as they are projected on the theater's screen, blending themes of memory, cinema, and the impact of film history.
In Wally Lamb’s pitch perfect new novel, it is 1964. LBJ and Lady Bird are in the White House, Meet the Beatles is on everyone’s turntable, and ten-year-old Felix Funicello (distant cousin of the iconic Annette!) is doing his best to navigate fifth grade—easier said than done when scary movies still give you nightmares and you bear a striking resemblance to a certain adorable cartoon boy. But there are several things young Felix can depend on: the birds and bees are puzzling, television is magical, and this is one Christmas he’s never going to forget.
Set in 1964, the story follows ten-year-old Felix as he navigates the complexities of childhood, from the mysteries of growing up to the enchantment of television. This Christmas promises to be unforgettable, hinting at significant events that will shape his understanding of the world. Felix's experiences reflect the innocence and wonder of youth against the backdrop of a transformative era.
Behind every good man is a great woman - or three. A New York Times bestseller: the kaleidoscopic new novel from Wally Lamb, author of She's Come Undone. Every Monday, sixty-year-old Felix Funicello sets up a new film for his weekly club at an old-fashioned cinema. But one night, he is confronted by an unanticipated guest: the ghost of Lois Weber. Once a trailblazing director from the silent film era, Lois invites Felix to watch a new feature on the big screen - scenes from his past. As these magical movies play before him, Felix begins to understand how a trio of unforgettable women have shaped his history. An evocative and kaleidoscopic convergence of Hollywood, feminism and family secrets, I'll Take You There is a radiant homage to a single life and to the resiliency, strength and power of women.
Quand, en avril 1999, son épouse Maureen échappe de justesse au massacre de Columbine, Caelum cherche refuge avec elle dans la ferme de son enfance à Three Rivers, Connecticut. C'est là qu'il découvre des archives familiales insoupçonnées : les lettres de son aïeule, militante abolitionniste, anéantie par la perte de ses fils au front ; les journaux de son arrière-grand-mère, fondatrice de la prison pour femmes du comté, hantée par la descente aux enfers de sa soeur ; des coupures de presse sur les tragédies locales de ces années 60 qui ont vu grandir Caelum aux côtés d'un père alcoolique revenu traumatisé de la guerre de Corée... Au fil de ses recherches, Caelum, stupéfait, voit se recomposer deux siècles d'une histoire familiale pleine de bruit et de fureur, et ressurgir le terrible secret de ses origines... Pour tenter de comprendre cette infinie colère qui l'habite depuis toujours, Caelum va devoir explorer les recoins les plus obscurs de sa mémoire...
Een labiel meisje verliest, nadat ze op 13-jarige leeftijd door een bovenbuurman is verkracht, haar greep op de werkelijkheid.
V ďalšej časti románovej trilógie o živote dvoch bratov, identických dvojičiek, sa dozviete, nakoľko úspešne sa podarilo Dominickovi ísť životom vlastnou cestou. Nie je to pre neho ľahké, kedže sa nevie zbaviť pocitu zodpovednosti aj za svojho „pomýleného" brata a všemožne sa usiluje ho chrániť prd cynizmom okolitého sveta. Navyše sa mu dostane do rúk denník ich starého otca, talianskeho prisťahovalca, a tak sa pred ním odvíja niť dedovho života od detstva v Taliansku až po útek do Ameriky. Tento denník je aj akýmsi dokumentom o neľahkom osude ľudí, ktorí s batôžkom v ruke a s nádejou v srdci opustili domovinu a často zaplatili krutú daň za svoju odvahu. Zároveň je však aj úsmevným dokladom o typicky talianskej predstave o sobáši, deťoch a rodine vôbec. Dominick dúfa, že v rozprávaní starého otca objaví aj nejakú zmienku o ich vlasnom otcovi, ktorý je pre oboch bratov zatiaľ neznámou postavou.
Strhujúca psychologická dráma zo života dvoch bratov identických dvojčiat. Jeden z nich sa ocitne v zajatí duševnej choroby: na protest proti vojne v Perzskom zálive si verejne odreže ruku, aby varoval svojich blížnych. Druhého morí hrôza, že jedného dňa aj jeho život poznačí strašná nemoc duše... Výnimočnosť tohto trojdielneho románu si dovoľujeme označiť ako tip vydavateľstva a odporučiť ho našim čitateľom.
Šesťročnú Frankie Heywoodovú a jej kamarátku zrazí cestou do školy autobus. Kamarátka zomiera, Frankie upadne do kómy. Frankin brat Ben, ktorý ju sprevádzal na vlastné oči nehodu videl, je udalosťou veľmi poznačený. Rodičia detí - šéf malej leteckej spoločnosti Jack a Alison - prežívajú v tomto období manželskú krízu kvôli Jackovej nevere. Nešťastie ich však prinúti spoločne dcére pomôcť. Keď ani po niekoľkých mesiacoch nenastáva u Frankie žiadne zlepšenie, Jack a Alison sa rozhodnú hľadať pomoc v USA, na súkromnej klinike Elizabeth Chaseovej. Elizabeth je mimoriadne nadaná neurologička, ktorá sa zaoberá preberaním ľudí z kómy experimentálnou metódou - pomocou počítačového programu vystavuje pacientov množstvu rozličných podnetov. Keď však počas liečby na klinike zomrú dvaja pacienti, začnú sa proti práci Dr.Chaseovej množiť protesty, výrazne podporované médiami. Príbuzní zosnulých podávajú žaloby, ktosi zo zákulisia organizuje pred klinikou protestné demonštrácie, do ústavu prichádza úradná kontrola a Dr.Chaseovej hrozí zákaz činnosti. Aj v takejto situácuii sa však rozhodne Frankie Heywoodovú na kliniku prijať.
