The Harder They Come

Acclaimed New York Times bestselling author T.C. Boyle makes his Ecco debut with a powerful, gripping novel that explores the roots of violence and anti-authoritarianism inherent in the American character.

Set in contemporary Northern California, The Harder They Come explores the volatile connections between three damaged people--an aging ex-Marine and Vietnam veteran, his psychologically unstable son, and the son's paranoid, much older lover--as they careen towards an explosive confrontation.

On a vacation cruise to Central America with his wife, seventy-year-old Sten Stensen unflinchingly kills a gun-wielding robber menacing a busload of senior tourists. The reluctant hero is relieved to return home to Fort Bragg, California, after the ordeal--only to find that his delusional son, Adam, has spiraled out of control.

Adam has become involved with Sara Hovarty Jennings, a hardened member of the Sovereign Citizens' Movement, right-wing anarchists who refuse to acknowledge the laws and regulations of the state, considering them to be false and non-applicable. Adam's senior by some fifteen years, Sara becomes his protector and inamorata. As Adam's mental state fractures, he becomes increasingly schizophrenic--a breakdown that leads him to shoot two people in separate instances. On the run, he takes to the woods, spurring the biggest manhunt in California history.

As he explores a father's legacy of violence and his powerlessness in relating to his equally violent son, T. C. Boyle offers unparalleled psychological insights into the American psyche. Inspired by a true story, The Harder They Come is a devastating and indelible novel from a modern master.

Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Ecco Press
Published: 03/31/2015
ISBN: 9780062349378
Pages: 400
Weight: 1.32lbs
Size: 9.11h x 6.33w x 1.36d

Review Citations: Library Journal Prepub Alert 10/15/2014 pg. 66
Publishers Weekly 12/01/2014
Library Journal 12/01/2014 pg. 89
Kirkus Reviews 01/01/2015
Booklist 02/01/2015 pg. 19
Entertainment Weekly 04/03/2015 pg. 66
Shelf Awareness 04/07/2015
BookPage 04/01/2015
New York Times Book Review 04/12/2015 pg. 10
New York Times Book Review 04/19/2015 pg. 26
Library Journal 10/15/2014