From Publishers Weekly
Move over, Richard Russo, there's an impressive new chronicler of the lives of hard-edged working men on the scene. The protagonist of Carpenter's second novel (after A Keeper of Sheep) is a Maine lobsterman, Lucas "Lucky" Lunt. His name is ironic, because the only luck Lucas has is bad. At 46, he's already had two angioplasties that have left him with a fluttering ticker, deeply in debt and unable to haul the huge lobster traps alone. After 20 years of docility, his wife, Sarah, is suddenly asserting her independence, his son is a delinquent skinhead, and his daughter is heading for college. He hires Ronette, the recently separated wife of the local lobster buyer, to be his sternman, and not surprisingly, the two fall into each other's arms. When Ronette becomes pregnant, Sarah leaves, and the downward spiral continues when Lucas gets into a territorial dispute with other lobstermen and wings one of them in an exchange of gunfire. He refuses to promise future good behavior and loses his fishing license. Sarah seizes the family home that has been Lunt property for three generations, and he's reduced to living with Ronette in a dilapidated trailer. He then begins fishing illegally for a renegade buyer and encounters a rogue whale that has more in common with him than he realizes; the climax involves fast and furious action. Carpenter's prose is strong and sinewy: the Maine fishing community is evoked with pungent realism, and the characters are memorable in their attempts to eke out an existence in a harsh environment. This is a fully engaging story that creates a powerful portrait of a man struggling to make sense of a world that seems rigged against him. Agent, Alison Bond. Regional tour.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
The second novel from the author of The Keeper of Sheep tells the tale of Lucky Lunt, a third-generation Maine lobsterman trying to be true to his roots in a world that is hurtling into the future. Recent heart surgery has left Lucky deeply in debt, struggling with the physical tasks of his job, and deprived of life's little pleasures: alcohol, tobacco, and meat products. His wife is selling crafts to summer people, his daughter is getting ready to leave for college, and his son has turned his back on the family trade in favor of urchin diving. When Lucky takes on a female deckhand, his life drastically changes. Carpenter's prose matches the harsh, gritty life of the seaman. The language is strong, and the gruff characters are more likely to accept the ancient laws of the sea than the laws of humans. Lucky's irregularly beating heart has some gold in it, but readers will find getting through to it a challenge. This realistic portrayal of a harsh life in a closed society holds rewards for those willing to look below the surface. For larger fiction collections. Debbie Bogenschutz, Cincinnati State Technical & Community Coll.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
