The Revolving Heart

by Chuck Augello

Overview

"A superb, captivating work from a promising new literary voice." -Kirkus Reviews

"An excellent, must-read novel about a man who returns home to confront his past, filled with memorable characters and written in a style that will draw you in, entertain you, and leave you wanting more." -Sublime Book Review

On a beautiful summer morning at the Jersey Shore, 4-year-old Sarah Carpenter wanders toward the ocean and never returns. The police think she drowned, but her babysitter Amy claims Sarah was abducted. The only other witness, 17-year-old Donnie Marcino, didn't see a thing. A narcoleptic since birth, he was fast asleep.

Twenty years later Sarah's disappearance still haunts Donnie, as does his lingering bond with Amy. When she calls from the hospital after a failed suicide attempt, Donnie returns to his hometown, but how can he help Amy, and help himself, without changing the past? In The Revolving Heart, love and redemption collide as the adult Donnie struggles to atone for his youthful mistakes.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781684334773
Publisher:	Black Rose Writing
Publication date:	04/16/2020
Pages:	244
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.61(d)

About the Author

Chuck Augello is the author of The Inexplicable Grey Space We Call Love (Duck Lake Books.) His work has appeared in One Story, Literary Hub, Smokelong Quarterly, and other fine journals. He's been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net. He publishes The Daily Vonnegut, a website exploring the life and art of Kurt Vonnegut.

Editorial Reviews

"A superb, captivating work from a promising new literary voice." -Kirkus Reviews

"An excellent, must-read novel about a man who returns home to confront his past, filled with memorable characters and written in a style that will draw you in, entertain you, and leave you wanting more." -Sublime Book Review

"Captures the spirt of the Jersey Shore... filled with wry observations and the unexpected smart and funny things people say." -Marcy Dermansky, author of The Red Car

From the Publisher

★ 2020-03-18
A call from an old friend in need leads a struggling playwright to come to terms with his complex history in Augello’s debut novel.

Donatello “Duck” Marcino is a master pizza chef, an unsuccessful playwright, and a narcoleptic. Amy is a suicidal, alcoholic single mother. The two were inseparable in their teenage years, during which they often babysat for the much younger Sarah Carpenter, whose mother was a less-than-ideal parent. A day at the beach in the 1990s changed their lives immeasurably, though, as Sarah went missing. Duck still has no idea what really happened that day, as he fell asleep on the beach as a result of his narcolepsy. It was generally assumed that Sarah drowned, although Amy claimed that the school drama teacher, Michael Ronan, whom Duck idolized, kidnapped the girl. However, police found no evidence that this was the case. Duck later left New Jersey for California, but a distress call from Amy 20 years later draws him back to his hometown to confront old demons. Duck, accompanied by his remarkably tolerant girlfriend, Kelly, immerses himself in the world he left behind and comes to a new, harrowing understanding of the events surrounding Sarah’s disappearance. Augello’s novel is a beautifully crafted fictional study of the long-term impact of neglect and abuse. Although the initial setup is reminiscent of a crime novel, the story gradually settles into a more reflective narrative about the choices that people make, the bonds they forge, and the obligations they can’t escape, however much they might try. The prose style is first-rate, featuring hints of Douglas Coupland and Philip Roth, cut through with the flavor of Beat Generation narratives. Augello shows a knack for sharp, believable dialogue, and his character construction is impressive. The unsettling malice of male aggression simmers throughout the story, as well, without ever feeling over-the-top.

A superb, captivating work from a promising new literary voice.

Kirkus Reviews