Synopsis
Ruth Anne Boatwright ("Bone"), growing up in a close-knit extended family of Southern poor whites, is molested by her violent stepfather. Allison's powerful--and highly autobiographical--novel of family dysfunction and individual survival was a best-seller when it appeared in 1992.
| Details | | Publication Date: | 1993-03-01 | | Edition Description: | Reprint |
| Size | | Height: | 8.0 in | | Width: | 5.3 in | | Thickness: | 0.8 in | | Weight: | 9.3 oz |
Publisher's Note
This fiercely moving, unforgettable first novel tells the story of Ruth Anne Boatwright--called Bone by her family--a South Carolina bastard with an annotated birth certificate to tell the tale. Bone's story is inseparable from that of her family, the notorious Boatwright clan. This tender yet disturbing tale is a harrowing story of family violence and incest that is "simply stunning" ( New York Times Book Review).
Industry Reviews
"Indeed, the technical skill on both large things and details...is simply stunning, about as close to flawless as any reader could ask for."
New York Times Book Review - George Garrett (07/05/1992)
"This book will resonate within you like a gospel choir."
Barbara Kingsolver
"I hate victim portraits. And I hate the pornography of victimization. Half of the incest books or family violence books dwell on sexual voyeurism...It's hard not to titillate when you're writing with this kind of material because American culture is consumed with it...A lot is based on real experience, but not the entire thing...I made her, Bone, a stronger child than I was, and--more important--I gave her a way out. If the book had been autobiographical, it would have been a lot meaner."
Interview - Dorothy Allison
"Allison has turned the rage she describes so brilliantly...into a compressed, exacting language that need never raise its voice to grab our attention."
Vince Aletti
"...a wonderful work of fiction by a major new talent has arrived on the scene...The literary territory Dorothy Allison has set out to explore is dangerous turf, a minefield strewn with booby traps where the least false step could lead to disaster. It is a great pleasure to see her succeed..."
George Garrett (07/05/1992)
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