Waiting on Wednesday: The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta

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Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine to highlight an upcoming release you cannot wait to read. My pick this week is the new novel by perhaps my favorite author, Tom Perrotta, The Leftovers.


Here's how the publisher describes it:
"What if the Rapture happened and you got left behind? Or what if it wasn't the Rapture at all, but something murkier, a burst of mysterious, apparently random disappearances that shattered the world in a single moment, dividing history into Before and After, leaving no one unscathed?
This is the question confronting the bewildered citizens of Mapleton, a formerly comfortable suburban community that lost over a hundred people in the Sudden Departure. Kevin Garvey, the new mayor, wants to speed up the healing process, to bring a sense of renewed hope and purpose to his traumatized neighbors, even as his own family falls apart. His wife, Laurie, has left him to enlist in the Guilty Remnant, a homegrown cult whose members take a vow of silence but haunt the streets of town as 'living reminders' of God's judgment. His son, Tom, is gone, too, dropping out of college to follow a sketchy prophet by the name of Holy Wayne. Only his teenaged daughter, Jill, remains, and she's definitely not the sweet A student she used to be. 
Through the prism of a single family, Perrotta illuminates a familiar American made strange by grief and apocalyptic anxiety."
 I'm always excited for a new Tom Perrotta novel, but this one sounds incredible. St. Martin's will publish The Leftovers August 30, 2011 (I'll take this 3-day late birthday present!) You can pre-order it now from an independent bookstore, the Book Despository or Amazon (I've pre-ordered the Kindle version already)



As an affiliate, I receive a very, very small commission when you make a purchase through any of the above links. Thank you for helping to support my book habits that bring more content to this blog!

Comments

  1. (Diane) Bibliophile By the SeaApril 27, 2011 at 6:42 AM

    OMG...what a cool cover and I really like this author; must wish list it. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Laurel-Rain SnowApril 27, 2011 at 7:52 AM

    Oh, I LOVED his Little Children and The Abstinence Reader. I am going over to preorder this one for my Kindle!

    Yay! Thanks for sharing.

    Here's MY WOW POST

    ReplyDelete
  3. KarenApril 27, 2011 at 8:54 AM

    Whoa! I haven't heard of this one! Thanks for putting it on my radar.

    ReplyDelete
  4. TheBookGirlApril 27, 2011 at 9:08 AM

    I loved The Abstinence Teacher and I liked Little Children. I also thought Election was a hilarious movie! This new one sounds great :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. JennaApril 27, 2011 at 9:17 AM

    I've loved Perrotta's previous works. He has a way of taking the seemingly mundane world of the suburbs and wonderfully twisting it. I wasn't aware he had a new one coming out, so thanks for highlighting the book.

    ReplyDelete
  6. BooksnycApril 27, 2011 at 10:13 AM

    Thanks for highlighting this book - I really like Perotta's novel and glad to see he has another one coming out.

    ReplyDelete
  7. ZibileeApril 27, 2011 at 11:33 AM

    Oh my gosh, this sounds good! I hadn't heard of it before, but now I am marking down the title to buy as soon as it comes out! Thanks for sharing it!

    ReplyDelete
  8. AnonymousApril 27, 2011 at 2:16 PM

    That cover is quite something. Love it. Thanks for telling me about this one. Sounds like one to put on my wishlist.

    ReplyDelete
  9. JennyApril 27, 2011 at 6:38 PM

    Oooh this looks good! love the cover!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Sakura SandraApril 27, 2011 at 9:35 PM

    This is a very interesting concept and a pretty cover too. I haven't heard of this one before, so thanks for the post so I can be on the look out for it. :) I am also your latest follower! Please stop by my blog to follow me back when you have some time. Thanks and I hope you're having a fabulous week!

    -Sandra from http://sandrathenookworm.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  11. JillApril 28, 2011 at 10:54 AM

    Me too, me too!

    ReplyDelete
  12. AndiMay 2, 2011 at 1:56 PM

    Wow, this sounds fantastic! What a premise. I haven't read any of Perrotta's stuff, sadly. But ya know what? I think it's time to remedy that. I have The Abstinence Teacher and Little Children waiting on my shelves.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Laurie CMay 3, 2011 at 8:25 PM

    I'm waiting for this one, too, but I'm glad it's not coming out till August. Too many others in my to-read pile right now...

    ReplyDelete

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