Sorrow

by Tiffanie DeBartolo Narrated by Tim Campbell

Overview

From Tiffanie DeBartolo, author of God Shaped Hole, How to Kill a Rock Star, and Grace: The Jeff Buckley Story, comes Sorrow, a poignant story about friendship and love, art and music, and how these pursuits can save us from ourselves.



Joe Harper has backpedaled throughout his life. A once-promising guitar prodigy, he's been living without direction since abandoning his musical dreams. Now into his thirties, having retreated from every opportunity he's had to level up, he has lost his family, his best friend, and his own self-respect.



But Joe finds an unlikely path to redemption when he starts working as a carpenter for the bohemian conceptual artist October Danko. The job returns him to his hometown, loaded with bittersweet reminders of his former life, in the shadows of his beloved redwood trees. As Joe's relationship with October develops, he yearns to take a daring step toward a bold future, but struggles to escape the craven decisions of his past.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"This novel is a rare gem: a profoundly warm, witty story about art, love, and the journey of the soul from my all-time favorite author. Worth the wait! DeBartolo's emotionally rich characters remind us that it is both painfully difficult and astonishingly beautiful to be human." -Colleen Hoover, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author

"An art infused story about love with achingly beautiful characters." -Tarryn Fisher, New York Times Bestselling Author

"A smart, thoughtful work that balances romance with intriguing philosophical questions... DeBartolo, the author of How To Kill a Rockstar (2005), plays expertly with the scope of her story: It's both a clever love triangle and a deeper inquiry into art, communication, and the meaning of success. The central romance feels relatable as the emotive October struggles to help Joe open up, and Joe's self-deprecating manner makes him a likable narrator. At the same time, descriptions of conceptual artworks, partly inspired by real-world artist Marina Abramovic, lead to big, contemporary questions of human connection." - Kirkus starred Review

"Imagine you walk across a beautiful meadow filled with Indian paintbrush and Colorado columbine. Suddenly, you are struck by a lightning bolt. You're blown out of your shoes, you fly through crackling air and land hands-and-knees deep in a brook bubbling over moss-covered rocks, shaded by weeping willows. You realize you are alive, more alive than ever before. You howl for the love of life. This is how reading Sorrow by Tiffanie DeBartolo made me feel.." -Tim Sandlin, author of 11 novels including the GroVont Quartet and Jimi Hendrix Turns Eighty

"Sorrow hit me like a truck, and it's been years since I read a book that physically moved me and made me feel as deeply as this one did. DeBartolo masterfully crafted characters you'll fall in love with, root for, want to scream at, and ultimately see yourself in, with a story that is narcoticly enthralling. Sorrow reminded me of the power of literature to deeply move you, uplift you, remind you of all the possibilities, love and magic in this world, and help you fall deeper in love with life. It's a masterpiece." -Kyle Nicolaides, musician

Kirkus Reviews

★ 2020-10-02
A lost soul confronts a lifetime of regrets and the power of art in this novel.

At age 37, Joe Harper has never lived up to his potential. Despite his gift for the guitar and his promise as a philosophy student, he leads a solitary life in Montana, mulling over choices he’s made. A flashback to three years ago sees Joe already starting to grapple with failure when he meets October Danko, a striking performance artist who hires him as her assistant, bringing him back to his hometown of Mill Valley, California. Among the redwoods of his youth, and under October’s empathetic gaze, Joe reflects deeply on his teenage years: the tragic death of his older brother, his difficulty communicating, and his close friendship with Cal Callahan, who helped him find his voice through music. As Joe becomes romantically involved with October, he can’t stop thinking of Cal, who’d urged him to follow his dreams and move to New York City; Joe didn’t take that chance, but Cal went on to find fame. A shocking twist of fate causes Joe’s past and present to collide, and he faces a difficult choice. DeBartolo, the author of How To Kill a Rockstar (2005), plays expertly with the scope of her story: It’s both a clever love triangle and a deeper inquiry into art, communication, and the meaning of success. The central romance feels relatable as the emotive October struggles to help Joe open up, and Joe’s self-deprecating manner makes him a likable narrator. At the same time, descriptions of conceptual artworks, partly inspired by real-world artist Marina Abramovic, lead to big, contemporary questions of human connection. Joe’s squandered potential sparks profound, bittersweet moments, including his acceptance of Cal’s notion that “Everyone is always one decision away from a completely different life.”

A smart, thoughtful work that balances romance with intriguing philosophical questions.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940176329209
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Publication date:	03/30/2021
Edition description:	Unabridged

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