The Obituary Writer

Gordie Hatch is twenty-two, charmingly naive, and certain that his first job as a writer for the ST LOUIS INDEPENDENT'S obituary page will be a stepping stone to a crackerjack career in journalism. The year is 1989, and Gordie watches helplessly while dramatic events -- the very events that could be his lucky break -- unfold in the world around him. But nothing can prepare him for the call he gets from Alicia Whiting, a young widow with an accent he can't quite place. When Gordie agrees to meet Alicia, against his better judgment, his journalistic curiosity quickly turns into an obsessive search for the outrageous truth behind the Whiting family. Shot through with affectionate humor and surprising twists and turns, THE OBITUARY WRITER introduces an author of enormous talent and heart. Porter Shreve brings a deft touch to the moments that mark a young person's entrance into the world, and a sharp eye to the ways in which the lead story can be wonderfully, seductively misleading.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Mariner Books
Published: 06/07/2000
ISBN: 9780395981320
Pages: 224
Weight: 0.56lbs
Size: 8.22h x 5.58w x 0.63d
Award: Society of Midland Authors Award - Honorable Mention

Review Citations: Publishers Weekly 05/15/2000 pg. 90
New York Times 06/11/2000 pg. 12
Kirkus Reviews 06/15/2000 pg. 828
Entertainment Weekly 07/07/2000 pg. 125
New York Times 12/03/2000 pg. 72