In this compelling Southern Gothic, Piccirilli (whose 2002 novel The Night Class has grabbed the Stoker for Best Novel) presents a searing portrait of twisted souls trapped in a wasteland. Thomas, the wealthiest inhabitant of the swamp-infested county of Kingdom Come, a bastion of superstition and ignorance where he's simultaneously reviled and revered, lives with his brothers, conjoined triplets sharing a single brain who act as a sort of Delphic oracle. Thomas also shares a platonic relationship with his wife Maggie: the two were married by his best friend Drub, a black preacher with a penchant for nudity and prophecy. Into this jambalaya intrudes a northern film student (who falls in love with one of the triplets), a sexually precocious young girl from the swamps and a "dog kicker" who terrorizes Kingdom Come. When the local granny witches become agitated and accuse Thomas of neglecting his duties to the land, you can just bet there's plenty of trouble ahead. Piccirilli masterfully increases the tension by playing with stereotypes and manipulating the flaws of his subjects' characters, creating a world where what happens on the outside is a pale reflection of what goes on inside. As such, the novel will appeal both to genre fans and to readers of Flannery O'Connor and even of William Faulkner. James Lee Burke and Harry Crews devotees should also take note.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

A Choir of Ill Children tells the story Kingdom Come - a decaying, lust-filled swampy backwater of a southern town. Piccirilli's lyrical, atmospheric tale of murder and redemption is a startling, breakout novel in the southern gothic tradition pioneered by the likes of William Faulkner and Flannery O'Connor Since his mother's mysterious death, and his father's suicide, Thomas has been force to take care of his three brothers, Jonah, Cole, and Sebastian. conjoined triplets who have 3 bodies, but share a single brain. In addition to the care of his three brothers, Thomas has inherited Kingdom Come's only industry and source of jobs, The Mill. Because of this position of wealth and power, he is at once feared and respected by the backwards, superstitious townsfolk. The walls that have grown up between Thomas and his fellow residents of Kingdom Come are high, and hide many strange, unexpected things. The town's "Granny witches" cast their spells, and read their auguries, trying to win influence over Thomas, while his childhood sweetheart Maggie must decide what, if any kind of relationship they will have. When Thomas's best friend, Drabs Bibbler (a reverend who suffers from the power of tongues), tries to pass on a warning of impending danger to Thomas, he is overcome by his "gift". All Thomas learns is "The carnival is coming." With the help of Maggie, The Granny Witches, and pieces of his past that he thought lost, Thomas must face the strange forces that are swirling towards the people and town that he loves.

See all Product Description

Inside This Book (Learn More)
Browse and search another edition of this book.

Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt

Tag this product

(What's this?)

Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items.

Customer Reviews

10 Reviews

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

Average Customer Review

4.8 out of 5 stars (10 customer reviews)

Share your thoughts with other customers:

Create your own review

Most helpful customer reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Beauty Meanders, Jul 18 2004

By	Sebastien Pharand (Orl�ans, Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: A Choir of Ill Children (Mass Market Paperback)

Tom Piccirilli is no stranger to fans of the indie horror field. I'm so happy to finally see his work released in the mass market format. This is one author who deserves a wider audience. Comparable to Stewart O'Nan, Piccirilli's writing is always beautiful, always lyrical and very deep. Unfortunately, A Choir of Ill Children, the sad and poetic tale of a young tormented soul, just isn't Piccirilli's best effort yet.

The story centers around a young man who has had more than his share of troubles in his life. His father killed himself, his mother disappeared and is still missing, and he is still haunted by horrible dreams and some horrible events of his past. His brothers, conjoined triplets, have powerful minds and thoughts. And everyone in the small town of Kingdom Come is hiding something under the surface. There are just too many dark secrets for this little town.

As the dark forces try to avenge the past, Thomas has to deal with his own ghosts, the ones inhabiting his mind. The fact that everyone arounds him seems to be on his case doesn't help matters either. The novel is at its best when Piccirilli brings us into Thomas's past or when he describes some of Thomas's dreams. Those scenes just feel surreal and disturbing, leaving the reader to feel completely uneasy.

The story meanders without aim for too long. Although you get to know these characters very well, you never actually feel close to any of them. All of this brings us to the heavy finale, where too many things seem to happen all at once. Everything just explodes and, once again, moves aimlessly towards the finish.

That said, A Choir of Ill Children's prose is so powerful, so gripping that you forget about its flaws. Piccirilli has a way of reeling you in and making you want to keep on reading. There is a lot of sadness in these words, the pages are drenched in regret. Superstitions abound, and dark gothic magic comes to play a role in the narrative.

I admired the book for the quality of its prose and for the way in which Piccirilli weaves his narrative so seamlessly. But I think, in the end, I just wanted more out of these characters.

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

5.0 out of 5 stars Unique and flavorful, Jul 6 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: A Choir of Ill Children (Mass Market Paperback)

First off let me just say...WOW! What a ride this novel is! Piccirilli manages to transcend genre and give us a literary work that is funny, twisted, creepy, freaky, and fun. It's also very moving in spots and there's a real hint of melancholy that trickles throughout the course of the book (but there are still plenty of laugh out loud spots). Unlike anything you've ever read before, you'll love it!

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

5.0 out of 5 stars Poetic and literate dark fantasy, Jun 27 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: A Choir of Ill Children (Mass Market Paperback)

Tom Piccirilli's A Choir Of Ill Children rates high at the top of my "favorite books of the year" list. The strange story, bizarre characters, and intense atmosphere all cook up into a weird southern gumbo. Piccirilli's narrative style is powerful, poetic, dark, and so vital that you can feel the novel's blood, bone, and muscle on every page. This is a rare book that transcends the genre envelope and enters a whole new arena. Highly recommended.

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 10 customer reviews...

Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars strong sinister drama
As much of a hold Thomas has on Kingdom Come, an inbred small town located in the Deep South, Kingdom Come in turn has as strong a hold on Thomas. Read more

Published on Jun 2 2004 by Harriet Klausner

5.0 out of 5 stars A rare and wonderful book!
As a whole, southern gothic stories have never appealed much to me. A few exceptions are Douglas Clegg's Neverland and Robert McCammon's Gone South. Read more

Published on May 1 2004 by Brian Knight

5.0 out of 5 stars Intelligent, dark southern gothic
Strong, believable but bizarre characters populate this weird and wonderful tale of a southern town haunted by swamp ghosts and granny witches. Read more

Published on April 18 2004

5.0 out of 5 stars WOW ! WHAT A BOOK
This is really one of the best book's I've read. This is not so much horror as it is southern gothic and it is great. Read more

Published on Aug 5 2003 by Kenneth Epstein