The Constellations

It's 1974 in DeKalb County, Illinois and the planets have failed to align for Roy Conlon. Widowed and broke, his eight-year-old son Eric is suddenly a mystery to him. The boy has become aware of a sky awhirl with stars and of the universe outside his small-Midwestern town. And as powerful forces pull Eric away, Roy's efforts to hold onto his son are threatened by weakness, guilt, and his participation in a foolish crime.

Enter The Constellations, a novel of the diverging paths of a father and his son, and how each copes with the loss of the woman whose love and guidance held them together. Roy and Eric's parallel journeys take them through a landscape populated by long shot players and kitchen sink philosophers, by ruthless thieves and fierce protectors. A compelling novel of small town America in the shadow of Vietnam and Watergate, Cunningham's spare prose and deftly drawn heroes complete a portrait of our country reminiscent of Mark Richard and Jim Shepard. Scarred, divided, and damaged, his characters represent all of our false promises and failed dreams.

Author: Kevin Cunningham
Publisher: Northern Illinois University Press
Published: 11/15/2012
Pages: 220
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.55lbs
Size: 8.40h x 5.50w x 0.70d
ISBN: 9780875806839
Award: Midwest Book Award (MIPA) - Finalist

Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 09/24/2012
Booklist 10/15/2012 pg. 28

About the Author

Kevin Cunningham lives and works in Wilmette, Illinois.