06 April 2012

Imprint Friday: The Coldest Night by Robert Olmstead

Welcome to Imprint Friday and today's featured imprint: Algonquin Books. Stop by each week to be introduced to a must-read title from one of my favorite imprints. I know you'll be adding many of these books to your wish list.

Many of you have already read one or both of Robert Olmstead's earlier novels of the Childs family of West Virgina: Cold Black Horse, which takes place in the 1860s, and Far Bright Star, which is set in 1916. The Coldest Night, just released, focuses on young Henry Childs, whose mother takes him out of the back country of the West Virginia mountains into the city.

Here's the publisher's summary:

Henry Childs is just seventeen when he falls into a love affair so intense it nearly consumes him. But when young Mercy’s disapproving father threatens Henry’s life, Henry runs as far as he can—to the other side of the world.

The time is 1950, and the Korean War hangs in the balance. Descended from a long line of soldiers, Henry enlists in the marines and arrives in Korea on the eve of the brutal seventeen-day battle of the Chosin Reservoir—the turning point of the war—completely unprepared for the forbidding Korean landscape and the unimaginable circumstances of a war well beyond the scope of anything his ancestors ever faced. But the challenges he meets upon his return home, scarred and haunted, are greater by far.

Robert Olmstead’s riveting new novel is not only a passionate story of love and war, it is a timeless story of soldiers coming home to a country with little regard for, and even less knowledge of, what they’ve confronted. Through his hero, Olmstead reveals an unspoken truth about combat: that for many men, the experience of war is the most enlivening, electric, and extraordinary experience of their lives.
I haven't yet started Olmstead's The Coldest Night, but I'm drawn to it for a number of reasons. First, I am intrigued with the set up of the novel, which has been mentioned in a couple of the reviews I've read. Henry Childs's story is told in three parts, and each phase of his young life seems to be completely different, starting at a high, descending into a cold hell, and rising to an uncomfortable limbo.

Another draw is the dichotomies Olmstead sets up: The contrast between Henry's backwoods infancy and big-city youth, between rich and poor, between the bliss of first love and the horrors of war, and between comrades in arms and the folks back home. Which of these gaps, if any, will Henry be able to close?

I'm also interested in The Coldest Night because I don't know many of the details of the Korean War. It's my understanding that Henry finds himself in one of the worst battles of the entire campaign; like him, we are thrown right into the thick of it. Finally, although this novel can stand alone, I like family sagas and plan to start my reading with Coal Black Horse.

Have a look at some of the early reviews of The Coldest Night (click the links for the full reviews):
  • The Kirkus review concludes: "An exceptionally fine study of love, war and the double-edged role of memory, which can both sustain and destroy. Prize-winning material."
  • Publisher's Weekly calls the book a "powerful, desolate, and well-crafted novel."
  • Seth at the Book Catapult says "It packs a wallop, no doubt--emotionally, philosophically--and it left me stunned, sad, and in utter awe of a writer who may just finally get his due."
The Coldest Night is an Indie Next pick for April. To learn more about Robert Olmstead and his previous work, visit his website. For information about his book tour, visit the publisher's website.

Algonquin Books
is a featured imprint on Beth Fish Reads. For more information about the imprint, please read Executive Editor Chuck Adams's introductory letter, posted here on January 7, 2011.


The Coldest Night at Powell's
The Coldest Night at Book Depository
These links lead to affiliate programs.

Published by Workman / Algonquin Books, April 2012
ISBN-13: 9781616200435

11 comments:

Daryl 4/6/12, 7:49 AM  

it does sound like a 'series' you need to read in order .. thanks!

Julie P. 4/6/12, 9:21 AM  

I just received this one. It does sound intriguing.

Beth Hoffman 4/6/12, 9:35 AM  

You're really pulled me in with this one. It's going on my list right now.

rhapsodyinbooks 4/6/12, 9:53 AM  

I really want to read this one also! Algonquin is so good too; I love them!

Sandy Nawrot 4/6/12, 10:15 AM  

Huh. Great feature today, and one that I'm really interested in. I love that time period. There is so much to explore in that time that perched right between WWII and the craziness of the '60's. (Happy Friday!)

Barbara 4/6/12, 11:42 AM  

There's a reason the Korean War is called the Forgotten War. Nobody knows enough about it. I was in my teens then, and I knew a POW from that war who was tortured. I really must read this book because the Chosin tragedy is one of the biggest events in the war.

bermudaonion 4/6/12, 2:23 PM  

I don't think I've ever read a novel set during the Korean War. This sounds excellent!

Zibilee 4/6/12, 3:55 PM  

I have also never read a book that featured the Korean War, and I am intrigued by this title. I definitely need to check this one out!

Darlene 4/9/12, 10:46 AM  

This sounds fascinating and like you I haven't read really anything that I can remember on the Korean war and I'd like too.

Unknown 4/12/12, 2:12 PM  

This one does sound rather good. I haven't read anything by this author before so I'm def. going to have to add him to my wish list.

thecuecard 7/22/13, 11:50 PM  

I hadn't read much on the Korean War either so was enticed to read The Coldest Night, which I just finished. Its story simmers and uses a spare style. The novel is quite good and I think I'll read another of his books in the future. my review is at http://www.thecuecard.com/node/773 . cheers

Thanks for stopping by. I read all comments and may respond here, via e-mail, or on your blog. I visit everyone who comments, but not necessarily right away.

I cannot turn off word verification, but if you are logged into Blogger you can ignore the captcha. I have set posts older than 14 days to be on moderation. I can no longer accept anonymous comments. I'm so sorry if this means you have to register or if you have trouble commenting.

Copyright

All content and photos (except where noted) copyright © cbl for Beth Fish Reads 2008-2020. All rights reserved.

Quantcast

Thanks!

To The Blogger Guide, Blogger Buster, Tips Blogger, Our Blogger Templates, BlogU, and Exploding Boy for the code for customizing my blog. To Old Book Illustrations for my ID photo. To SEO for meta-tag analysis. To Blogger Widgets for the avatars in my comments and sidebar gadgets. To Review of the Web for more gadgets. To SuziQ from Whimpulsive for help with my comments section. To Cool Tricks N Tips for my Google +1 button.

Quick Linker

Services

SEO

  © Blogger template Coozie by Ourblogtemplates.com 2008

Back to TOP