A glorious debut that T.C. Boyle calls "powerful and deeply moving" that follows two young Mormon missionaries in Brazil and their tense, peculiar friendship. Elder McLeod-outspoken, surly, a brash American-is nearing the end of his mission in Brazil. For nearly two years he has spent his days studying the Bible and the Book of Mormon, knocking on doors, teaching missionary lessons-"experimenting on the word." His new partner is Elder Passos, a devout, ambitious Brazilian who found salvation and solace in the church after his mother's early death. The two men are at first suspicious of each other, and their work together is frustrating, fruitless. That changes when a beautiful woman and her husband offer the missionaries a chance to be heard, to put all of their practice to good use, to test the mettle of their faith. But before they can bring the couple to baptism, they must confront their own long-held beliefs and doubts, and the simmering tensions at the heart of their friendship. A novel of unsparing honesty and beauty, Elders announces Ryan McIlvain as a writer of enormous talent.
About the Author :
Ryan McIlvain was born in Utah and raised in Massachusetts. His first novel, Elders, was longlisted for the Center for Fiction's First Novel Prize, and his work has appeared in The Paris Review, Post Road, The Rumpus, and The Los Angeles Review of Books, among many other publications. A former Stegner Fellow in Fiction at Stanford University, McIlvain now lives with his family in Tampa, Florida. Brian Hutchison is an Earphones Award-winning audiobook narrator and a professional theater actor who has appeared in numerous Broadway, off Broadway, and regional plays.
Review :
"Elders is a refreshingly earnest, clear-eyed, and self-assured debut by a young writer to watch. McIlvain wrestles with sturdy themes, conflicted characters, and big ideas--the stuff of classic literature."
-- "Jonathan Evison, New York Times bestselling author of West of Here"
"[A] classic in Mormon letters...Excellent, Mormon-themed novels are few and far between. This is one of them."
-- "Daily Beast"
"A nuanced meditation on faith and commitment that has all the intensity of a stage play. Elders is a powerful and deeply moving debut from a gifted young writer."
-- "T. C. Boyle, New York Times bestselling author of San Miguel"
"A thoughtful, carefully wrought story about the voids between belief and questioning, between loneliness and companionship, between home and far, far away."
-- "Ramona Ausubel, author of No One Is Here Except All of Us"
"Admits readers to a kind of inner sanctum...McIlvain zeros in on the inner struggle, exploring the appeal of faith and the sorrow that comes with losing it."
-- "New York Times"
"Beautifully written...Elders reveals a world of self-denial, proselytizing, and passionate faith very differently experienced by a young American and his Brazilian counterpart."
-- "Jayne Anne Phillips, New York Times bestselling author of Lark & Termite"
"Glows with the love and anger of a former believer...Clear-eyed....Finely paced, keenly observed, and ruefully honest."
-- "Boston Globe"
"I've always wanted to read a novel about Mormon missions abroad, and McIlvain is the ideal writer to write it. The framework he provides is layered and fascinating, and inside it, the complex human drama plays out beautifully--these are memorable characters, and McIlvain shows them to us with compassion and honesty both."
-- "Aimee Bender, New York Times bestselling author of The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake"
"McIlvain dissects the mix of need and ambition and genuine faith that fuel a disciplined devotion...Earthbound...Honest...Builds to [a] drastic resolution."
-- "Slate"
"This is a wise book about the strength of human relationships under the pressure of challenged faith. Ryan McIlvain offers the reader genuine hope."
-- "Alice Elliot Dark, author of In the Gloaming"
"With strong, economical language, Ryan McIlvain has crafted a terrific story. From exotic Brazil to an even stranger America. These characters are presented fully and with great affection. I'm certain this is the first of many fine works from an important new voice."
-- "Percival Everett, author of Percival Everett by Virgil Russell"
