"A magical debut novel...A deeply gratifying modern fable ...with the light, graceful touch that makes Mr. Somerville someone to watch . ..As a small novel with unexpectedly wide range, THE CRADLE mixes the profound emotional pull of parent-child connections with comically eccentric touches."—Janet Maslin , New York Times "A lean, moving tale.... THE CRADLE emerges swift and cinematic, an epic story told in a series of artfully curated, wonderfully rendered scenes...As a writer, I'm still wondering how Somerville created this exquisitely complex story on a small canvas. As a reader, I'm glad he did."—Dean Bakopoulos , New York Times Book Review "A surprisingly tender novel ...What matters are Somerville's characters, rendered with such warm appreciation of their complexity and resilience that, although he declines to predict their future, we have every reason to hope they will continue making slow, tentative progress toward healing the wounds of the past."—Wendy Smith , Chicago Tribune "A lovely, finely wrought tale of unlikely redemption . In prose that floats so lightly as to seem effortless, Somerville takes the reader on unlikely journeys that results in unexpected consequences.... THE CRADLE is a slim volume, with prose that slides down easily - so easily that the emotions it explores can sneak up on the reader...The final pages of the novel are surprisingly satisfying and right. Somerville has many gifts , not the least of which is the ability to sketch his characters with firm strokes that leave no doubt as to their distinct and varied humanity. The resulting work is nothing short of a surprising treat ."—Robin Vidimos , Denver Post "The link between the characters...is uncovered with a slow grace . But the story's real centerpiece is Matt's rapport with Joe. Their spare conversation is beautifully written , with lines of painstaking clarity . The weight of what Matt is doing-speaking, in a way, to his younger self-manages gravity while dodging self-seriousness, a particular gift in a debut novel ."—Melissa Albert , Time Out Chicago "Poignant and funny ...a well-wrought, often comical exploration of contemporary fatherhood."—Joseph Peschel , St. Louis Post-Dispatch "A heartwarming debut ...a fast-paced, compassionate, moral book. . . . the author succeeds beautifully in describing Matt's journey, which is both a harrowing road adventure and a journey of self-discovery."—Anthony Bukowski , Minneapolis Star-Tribune "A fine first effort and a rewarding read ."—Carole Goldberg , Hartford Courant "[Matt's] search, in Patrick Somerville's brilliant (and short!) debut novel is heartfelt , yes, but full of wild turns."—David Daley , Louisville Courier-Journal "This slim and rather unusual road novel is very satisfying . . . . because [Somerville] manages to somehow pack a pretty epic family story into such a concentrated punch of a book, THE CRADLE is the kind of novel you can read in a single sitting on a rainy spring Sunday."—Bobby Tanzillo , Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel "The Cradle weaves together two tightly drawn tales of family history. One story moves forward, as an expectant father goes on a journey across America on a quest for a stolen cradle. The other travels backward, while a middle-aged woman reminisces about her long-lost lover, who died in Vietnam. Slowly, these two narratives begin cross, until they are interlocked like fingers-two hands reaching for each other until, there it is-the connection. Patrick Somerville has given us a novel of great depth and feeling that explores love, manhood, sacrifice and the most important bond of all-parenthood ."—Hannah Tinti , author of The Good Thief "The Cradle is a story of family and the connections across time that define our lives in secret and surprising ways. It is a vivid story of renewal and a new beginning. Patrick Somerville is a storyteller you will not forget. The Cradle gives me new confidence in the future of American fiction ."—Robert Morgan , New York Times bestselling author of Gap Creek " I read Patrick Somerville's debut novel, The Cradle , in one sittingI couldn't put it down . What begins as a man's whimsical quest to recover an antique cradle for his wife becomes a wild road trip where the past keeps pace with the present and the moral stakes become almost unbearably high. The novel's protagonist, Matt, is rendered with such intelligence, humor, and emotional acuity that I feel like I know myself better for having met him. This is an unforgettable meditation on what it means to be a parent, a child, and part of a family."—Karen Russell , author of St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves "There is a yearning within Patrick Somerville's writing that is undeniable . What starts here as page-turner in the end becomes a story of redemption and rebirth. The Cradle is a stirring debut that will leave you wanting more."—Oscar Casares , author of Amigoland and Brownsville "Like a magic trick, The Cradle will make you blink, chew your lip, try to figure out how he did it, how in the world Patrick Somerville managed to sneak this big, beautiful story of familial love into such a slender novela saga writ small, swiftly paced, intricately structured, precisely told ."—Benjamin Percy , author of Refresh, Refresh and The Language of Elk "There I am, minding my own business, and from out of nowhere comes this crazy perfect thing . The Cradle is a miniature American odyssey that you love for its simplicity, until you realize it isn't simple at all, and then you love it even more. Somerville is a rookie who writes like a veteran, and by the time he's a veteran, he'll be writing like a God ."—J. Robert Lennon , author of Castle and The Light of Falling Stars "This meditative novel dignifies small gestures, which bring to life the compelling characters . A bonus is the fresh regional sensibility the author brings to Matt's road trip through the Northern Middle West states. Fresh turf for American fiction from a talented young writer ."—Kirkus "[A] spare, elegant first novel ...Somerville's themes of a broader sense of interconnectivity and the resultant miracles of everyday existence retain their strength and affirm the value of forming and keeping families ."—Publishers Weekly "The stories alternate chapters and eventually come together in this satisfyingly sweet tale of love, commitment, and self-discovery . First novelist Somerville keeps us engaged in this slim novel from the outset. Though readers might guess the connections, they will want to see how the author provides the perfect denouement ."—Library Journal "With highly charged lyricism and dramatic concision , Somerville gracefully illuminates what children need, all that war demands, and how amends are made and sorrows are woven into the intricate tapestry of life."—Booklist
"With highly charged lyricism and dramatic concision , Somerville gracefully illuminates what children need, all that war demands, and how amends are made and sorrows are woven into the intricate tapestry of life."
"There I am, minding my own business, and from out of nowhere comes thiscrazy perfect thing . The Cradle is a miniature American odyssey thatyou love for its simplicity, until you realize it isn't simple at all,and then you love it even more. Somerville is a rookie who writes likea veteran, and by the time he's a veteran, he'll be writing like a God ."
J. Robert Lennon - author of Castle and The Light of Falling Stars
"There is a yearning within Patrick Somerville's writing that is undeniable . What starts here as page-turner in the end becomes a story of redemption and rebirth. The Cradle is a stirring debut that will leave you wanting more."
Oscar Casares - author of Amigoland and Brownsville
" I read Patrick Somerville's debut novel, The Cradle , in one sitting--I couldn't put it down . What begins as a man's whimsical quest to recover an antique cradle for his wife becomes a wild road trip where the past keeps pace with the present and the moral stakes become almost unbearably high. The novel's protagonist, Matt, is rendered with such intelligence, humor, and emotional acuity that I feel like I know myself better for having met him. This is an unforgettable meditation on what it means to be a parent, a child, and part of a family."
Karen Russell - author of St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves
"The Cradle is a story of family and the connections across time that define our lives in secret and surprising ways. It is a vivid story of renewal and a new beginning. Patrick Somerville is a storyteller you will not forget. The Cradle gives me new confidence in the future of American fiction ."
Robert Morgan - New York Times bestselling author of Gap Creek
"The Cradle weaves together two tightly drawn tales of family history. One story moves forward, as an expectant father goes on a journey across America on a quest for a stolen cradle. The other travels backward, while a middle-aged woman reminisces about her long-lost lover, who died in Vietnam. Slowly, these two narratives begin cross, until they are interlocked like fingers-two hands reaching for each other until, there it is-the connection. Patrick Somerville has given us a novel of great depth and feeling that explores love, manhood, sacrifice and the most important bond of all-parenthood ."
Hannah Tinti - author of The Good Thief
"This slim and rather unusual road novel is very satisfying . . . . because [Somerville] manages to somehow pack a pretty epic family story into such a concentrated punch of a book, THE CRADLE is the kind of novel you can read in a single sitting on a rainy spring Sunday."
Bobby Tanzillo - Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
"[Matt's] search, in Patrick Somerville's brilliant (and short!) debut novel is heartfelt , yes, but full of wild turns."
David Daley - Louisville Courier-Journal
"A fine first effort and a rewarding read ."
Carole Goldberg - Hartford Courant
"A heartwarming debut ...a fast-paced, compassionate, moral book. . . . the author succeeds beautifully in describing Matt's journey, which is both a harrowing road adventure and a journey of self-discovery."
Anthony Bukowski - Minneapolis Star-Tribune
"Poignant and funny ...a well-wrought, often comical exploration of contemporary fatherhood."
Joseph Peschel - St. Louis Post-Dispatch
"The link between the characters...is uncovered with a slow grace . But the story's real centerpiece is Matt's rapport with Joe. Their spare conversation is beautifully written , with lines of painstaking clarity . The weight of what Matt is doing-speaking, in a way, to his younger self-manages gravity while dodging self-seriousness, a particular gift in a debut novel ."
Melissa Albert - Time Out Chicago
"Alovely, finely wrought tale of unlikely redemption . In prose that floats so lightly as to seem effortless, Somerville takes the reader on unlikely journeys that results in unexpected consequences.... THE CRADLE is a slim volume, with prose that slides down easily - so easily that the emotions it explores can sneak up on the reader...The final pages of the novel are surprisingly satisfying and right. Somerville has many gifts , not the least of which is the ability to sketch his characters with firm strokes that leave no doubt as to their distinct and varied humanity. The resulting work is nothing short of a surprising treat ."
Robin Vidimos - Denver Post
"Asurprisingly tender novel ...What matters are Somerville's characters, rendered with such warm appreciation of their complexity and resilience that, although he declines to predict their future, we have every reason to hope they will continue making slow, tentative progress toward healing the wounds of the past."
Wendy Smith - Chicago Tribune
"Alean, moving tale.... THE CRADLE emerges swift and cinematic, an epic story told in a series of artfully curated, wonderfully rendered scenes...As a writer, I'm still wondering how Somerville created this exquisitely complex story on a small canvas. As a reader, I'm glad he did."
Dean Bakopoulos - New York Times Book Review
"Amagical debut novel...A deeply gratifying modern fable ...with the light, graceful touch that makes Mr. Somervillesomeone to watch . ..As a small novel with unexpectedly wide range, THE CRADLE mixes the profound emotional pull of parent-child connections with comically eccentric touches."
Janet Maslin - New York Times
There I am, minding my own business, and from out of nowhere comes thiscrazy perfect thing . The Cradle is a miniature American odyssey thatyou love for its simplicity, until you realize it isn't simple at all,and then you love it even more. Somerville is a rookie who writes likea veteran, and by the time he's a veteran, he'll be writing like a God . author of Castle and The Light of Falling Stars
Like a magic trick, The Cradle will make you blink, chew your lip, try to figure out how he did it, how in theworldPatrick Somerville managed tosneak thisbig, beautiful story of familial loveintosuch aslender novela saga writ small, swiftly paced, intricately structured, preciselytold . author of Refresh, Refresh and The Language of Elk
There is a yearning within Patrick Somerville's writing that is undeniable . What starts here as page-turner in the end becomes a story of redemption and rebirth. The Cradle is a stirring debut that will leave you wanting more. author of Amigoland and Brownsville
I read Patrick Somerville's debut novel, The Cradle , in one sittingI couldn't put it down . What begins as a man's whimsical quest to recover an antique cradle for his wife becomes a wild road trip where the past keeps pace with the present and the moral stakes become almost unbearably high. The novel's protagonist, Matt, is rendered with such intelligence, humor, and emotional acuity that I feel like I know myself better for having met him. This is an unforgettable meditation on what it means to be a parent, a child, and part of a family. author of St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves
The Cradle is a story of family and the connections across time that define our lives in secret and surprising ways. It is a vivid story of renewal and a new beginning. Patrick Somerville is a storyteller you will not forget. The Cradle gives me new confidence in the future of American fiction . New York Times bestselling author of Gap Creek
The Cradle weaves together two tightly drawn tales of family history. One story moves forward, as an expectant father goes on a journey across America on a quest for a stolen cradle. The other travels backward, while a middle-aged woman reminisces about her long-lost lover, who died in Vietnam. Slowly, these two narratives begin cross, until they are interlocked like fingers-two hands reaching for each other until, there it is-the connection. Patrick Somerville has given us a novel of great depth and feeling that explores love, manhood, sacrifice and the most important bond of all-parenthood . author of The Good Thief
This slim and rather unusual road novel is very satisfying . . . . because [Somerville] manages to somehow pack a pretty epic family story into such a concentrated punch of a book, THE CRADLE is the kind of novel you can read in a single sitting on a rainy spring Sunday. Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
[Matt's] search, in Patrick Somerville's brilliant (and short!) debut novel is heartfelt , yes, but full of wild turns. Louisville Courier-Journal
A fine first effort and a rewarding read . Hartford Courant
A heartwarming debut ...a fast-paced, compassionate, moral book. . . . the author succeeds beautifully in describing Matt's journey, which is both a harrowing road adventure and a journey of self-discovery. Minneapolis Star-Tribune
Poignant and funny ...a well-wrought, often comical exploration of contemporary fatherhood. St. Louis Post-Dispatch
The link between the characters...is uncovered with a slow grace . But the story's real centerpiece is Matt's rapport with Joe. Their spare conversation is beautifully written , with lines of painstaking clarity . The weight of what Matt is doing-speaking, in a way, to his younger self-manages gravity while dodging self-seriousness, a particular gift in a debut novel . Time Out Chicago
Alovely, finely wrought tale of unlikely redemption . In prose that floats so lightly as to seem effortless, Somerville takes the reader on unlikely journeys that results in unexpected consequences.... THE CRADLE is a slim volume, with prose that slides down easily - so easily that the emotions it explores can sneak up on the reader...The final pages of the novel are surprisingly satisfying and right. Somerville has many gifts , not the least of which is the ability to sketch his characters with firm strokes that leave no doubt as to their distinct and varied humanity. The resulting work is nothing short of a surprising treat . Denver Post
Asurprisingly tender novel ...What matters are Somerville's characters, rendered with such warm appreciation of their complexity and resilience that, although he declines to predict their future, we have every reason to hope they will continue making slow, tentative progress toward healing the wounds of the past. Chicago Tribune
Alean, moving tale.... THE CRADLE emerges swift and cinematic, an epic story told in a series of artfully curated, wonderfully rendered scenes...As a writer, I'm still wondering how Somerville created this exquisitely complex story on a small canvas. As a reader, I'm glad he did. New York Times Book Review
Amagical debut novel...A deeply gratifying modern fable ...with the light, graceful touch that makes Mr. Somervillesomeone to watch . ..As a small novel with unexpectedly wide range, THE CRADLE mixes the profound emotional pull of parent-child connections with comically eccentric touches. New York Times
Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Marissa is expecting her first child and fixated on securing the same cradle she was once rocked in for her own baby. But her mother, Caroline, disappeared when Marissa was a teenager, and the treasured cradle mysteriously vanished shortly thereafter. Marissa's husband, Matthew, kindly agrees to try to track down the cradle, which naturally means finding Caroline as well.
In another family, Adam has just joined the Marines and is off to Iraq. His mother, Renee, is terrified of losing him, and furious at both Adam for enlisting and her husband for being so mild-mannered about it all. To further complicate matters, Renee is troubled by the resurfacing of secrets she buried long ago: the memory of her first love, killed in Vietnam, and the son she gave up at birth.
Matt's search for the cradle takes him through the Midwest, and provides an introduction to a host of oddball characters who've been part of Caroline's life in the intervening years. When he finds the cradle, he also
finds an unloved little boy, who will one day reunite a family adrift. A lovely debut novel, The Cradle is an astonishingly spare tale of feeling lost in the world, and the simple, momentous acts of love that bring people home. (Summer 2009 Selection )
One gets the sense that somewhere, near Patrick Somerville's writing desk, hundreds of unpublished pages of his first novel, The Cradle, litter the floor. The scope of the story indicates that many hours of imaginative sweat went into the production of this lean, moving tale. Happily, The Cradle emerges swift and cinematic, an epic story told in a series of artfully curated, wonderfully rendered scenes. The New York Times Book Review
Somerville builds a road narrative that gradually accumulates the mythic echoes and dreamlike inevitability of allegory…What gives The Cradle its potent emotional resonance, however, is the way Somerville's prose calmly, relentlessly pulls at the Gothic skein of family tragedies that lurks behind the peeling paint and sagging porches, where a sense of inherited sin settles like a thick fog. The Washington Post
An elusive heirloom cradle symbolizes childhood's pains and possibilities in Somerville's spare, elegant first novel (after a story collection, Trouble ). Marissa, pregnant with her first child, becomes obsessed with tracking down the antique cradle her mother took when she abandoned the family a decade earlier. Marissa's husband, Matt, is sure he's been dispatched on a fool's errand, but his journey soon connects him to Marissa's family and his own history of abandonment, neglect and abuse amid a string of foster homes and orphanages. Matt's quest through four states is interwoven with another drama that takes place 11 years later, in 2008, in which poet and children's author Renee Owen is haunted by memories of war and a lost love as she prepares to send her son off to fight in Iraq. Again, long-buried secrets come to the surface, one of which poignantly links the two story lines. Though the connection will not shock, Somerville's themes of a broader sense of interconnectivity and the resultant miracles of everyday existence retain their strength and affirm the value of forming and keeping families. (Mar.)
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It's 1997, and 25-year-old Marissa Bishop could be a bit crazy, or perhaps it's just pregnancy that makes her send her adoring husband, Matt, on an impossible quest: find her own childhood cradle, which was removed from her home ten years earlier when her mother left Marissa and her dad. To appease the woman he loves, Matt leaves their Wisconsin home to traverse the Midwest on a journey that might leave the geographically challenged running for an atlas. In 2008 Chicago, children's book author and sometime poet Renee Owen is dealing with her 19-year-old son's enlistment in the military, with the likelihood of his shipping out to Iraq. The stories alternate chapters and eventually come together in this satisfyingly sweet tale of love, commitment, and self-discovery. First novelist Somerville keeps us engaged in this slim novel from the outset. Though readers might guess the connections, they will want to see how the author provides the perfect denouement. Highly recommended for public libraries. Bette-Lee Fox
In this first novel by the author of the story collection Trouble (2006), a young man and, separately, a middle-aged woman test their capacity to love and be loved. As a favor to his pregnant wife, Matt takes a few days off from the plant where he works to try to find the cradle Marissa had as a baby. She wants it for their son. The cradle dates back to the Civil War, and it was stolen when Marissa was 15, around the same time Marissa's mother walked out. Neither has been seen since. With a relative's former address as his only clue, Matt sets off, traveling through towns large and small, from Green Bay, Wis., to Walton, Minn., to Rensselaer, Ind., with a brief detour (via Internet video hook-up) to Antarctica. Along the way, Matt finds much more than he anticipated, including how his own childhood-18 years of foster homes and state agencies-shaped his feelings about family. Ten years later, in a well-heeled neighborhood of Chicago, Renee and her husband Bill prepare to say goodbye to their only son Adam, a Marine who is leaving for Iraq in a matter of days. Affable and bright, Adam believes he has a duty to serve his country-a position not shared by Renee, a children's-book author turned poet who passionately protested the Vietnam War when she was in college. As the family works to keep their last days together normal-they go out for donuts; watch a football game on television-Renee's feelings about Adam's impending departure threaten to tear from her lips a long-buried secret. One not even her husband knows. Somerville's two story lines unfold and ultimately dovetail with a quiet confidence. This meditative novel dignifies small gestures, which bring to life the compelling characters. Abonus is the fresh regional sensibility the author brings to Matt's road trip through the Northern Middle West states. Fresh turf for American fiction from a talented young writer. Agent: Brettne Bloom/Kneerim & Williams