MARCH 2016 - AudioFile
Narrator Richard Poe continues to prove himself a master of the field as he portrays Callum, a 15-year-old orphan who finds love and heartbreak in the broken landscape of the South, following the Civil War. Poe deftly guides this engaging story, describing the band of marauding former soldiers as they pillage the countryside. Poe’s portrayal of the lovely but tragic Ava is most affecting. He uses pacing and pauses to build tension during showdowns and softens his delivery in the tender scenes between the two lovers. Through the eyes of two innocent young people, Taylor Brown’s debut novel illuminates the desolation of war and the challenge of surviving in a dying land. Unforgettable. R.O. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine
From the Publisher
"Like McCarthy's Border Trilogy or Frazier's Cold Mountain, this is American literature at its best, full of art and beauty and the exploration of all that is good and bad in the human spirit." —Kirkus, starred review
"This is a masterpiece that deserves a full serving of accolades." —Booklist, starred review
"Brown’s expressive language captures the harsh realities of the South at the time. A nail-biting journey from first page to last." —Library Journal, starred review
“A story of love and loyalty set within the madness and chaos of war, Fallen Land is also a thrilling fugue, in both senses: of flight, and intricate composition. It is also the story of a revenge quest, the horrors of Sherman's March, a noble horse named Reiver, of sacrifice, endurance, and redemption. No one who reads Fallen Land will ever forget it. In this first novel Taylor Brown proves himself a fresh, authentic, and eloquent new voice in American fiction.” —Robert Morgan, author of Gap Creek, Boone, and The Road from Gap Creek
“A shattering debut that puts one strongly in mind of the young Cormac McCarthy, and the best historical fiction I've read in ages.” —Pinckney Benedict, author of Town Smokes, The Wrecking Yard, and Dogs of God
“It is rare thing for a writer to have the talent and scope to exhibit both the worst and best of humanity in one book, much less in one scene, but that's what Brown does here: He literally floods the page with violent beauty and devastating grace. Well-known and oft-praised writers will look back on long and storied careers only to wish they had written a debut novel as flawless as Fallen Land.” —Wiley Cash, author of A Land More Kind Than Home
“Taylor Brown has given us the wonderful tale of Callum, who will make his way through his own private Civil War. His is not so much a war of grand battles and armies, but a real war of personal survival. Powerfully written, wonderfully told, Fallen Land needs to be part of every collection of great storytelling of the American Civil War.” —Robert Hicks, author of The Widow of the South and A Separate Country
"Harrowing and haunting, Brown’s novel travels through the brutality of the Civil War, the desperate yearning of young love, and the glint of hope that can illuminate tragedy. Thanks to Brown’s genius, you don’t just read this book—you inhabit it." —Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of Is This Tomorrow and Pictures of You
author of The Widow of the South and A Separate Co Robert Hicks
Taylor Brown has given us the wonderful tale of Callum, who will make his way through his own private Civil War. His is not so much a war of grand battles and armies, but a real war of personal survival. Powerfully written, wonderfully told, Fallen Land needs to be part of every collection of great storytelling of the American Civil War.
author of A Land More Kind Than Home Wiley Cash
It is rare thing for a writer to have the talent and scope to exhibit both the worst and best of humanity in one book, much less in one scene, but that's what Brown does here: He literally floods the page with violent beauty and devastating grace. Well-known and oft-praised writers will look back on long and storied careers only to wish they had written a debut novel as flawless as Fallen Land.
Pinckney Benedict
A shattering debut that puts one strongly in mind of the young Cormac McCarthy, and the best historical fiction I've read in ages.
Robert Morgan
A story of love and loyalty set within the madness and chaos of war, Fallen Land is also a thrilling fugue, in both senses: of flight, and intricate composition. It is also the story of a revenge quest, the horrors of Sherman's March, a noble horse named Reiver, of sacrifice, endurance, and redemption. No one who reads Fallen Land will ever forget it. In this first novel Taylor Brown proves himself a fresh, authentic, and eloquent new voice in American fiction.
Library Journal
★ 10/15/2015
The opening chapter of Brown's debut novel, also a story in his award-winning collection, In the Season of Blood and Gold, is a violent introduction to the lawless days at the close of the Civil War. Young Callum is part of a roving band of Confederates led by the Colonel, now stripped of his commission for stealing. Under the Colonel's misguided control, they wander the Southern countryside, raiding and killing. At one farmhouse, Callum finds a lone girl named Ava and tries to save her from the brutish Colonel. During the melee that follows, Callum is wounded and carried off unconscious. When he wakes up, he steals the Colonel's black stallion and rides back to rescue Ava. They outfit the horse and ride southward, always on the lookout for bands of foragers but hoping to reach the rumored safety of Atlanta and the plantation of Callum's distant cousins. Ava and Callum's frantic journey toward a new life is full of danger from the oncoming winter, Ava's pregnancy, and the enraged raiders out for revenge. VERDICT Brown's expressive language captures the harsh realities of the South at the time. A nail-biting journey from first page to last. [See Prepub Alert, 7/8/15.]—Donna Bettencourt, Mesa Cty. P.L., Palisade, CO
MARCH 2016 - AudioFile
Narrator Richard Poe continues to prove himself a master of the field as he portrays Callum, a 15-year-old orphan who finds love and heartbreak in the broken landscape of the South, following the Civil War. Poe deftly guides this engaging story, describing the band of marauding former soldiers as they pillage the countryside. Poe’s portrayal of the lovely but tragic Ava is most affecting. He uses pacing and pauses to build tension during showdowns and softens his delivery in the tender scenes between the two lovers. Through the eyes of two innocent young people, Taylor Brown’s debut novel illuminates the desolation of war and the challenge of surviving in a dying land. Unforgettable. R.O. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine
