Olympus, Texas

Description

'The most wildly entertaining novel I've read in a long time' Richard Russo, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction When March Briscoe returns to East Texas two years after he was caught having an affair with his brother's wife, the Briscoe family becomes once again the talk of the small town of Olympus. His mother, June, hardly welcomes him back with open arms. Her husband's own past affairs have made her tired of being the long-suffering spouse. Is it, perhaps, time for a change? But within days of March's arrival, someone is dead, marriages are upended, and even the strongest of alliances are shattered. In the end, the ties that hold them together might be exactly what drag them all down. An expansive tour de force, Olympus, Texas combines the archetypes of Greek and Roman mythology with the psychological complexity of a messy family. After all, at some point, we all wonder: what good is this destructive force we call love?

STACEY SWANN holds an MFA from Texas State University and was a Stegner Fellow at Stanford University. She is a native Texan.

In her essay "Notes on Writing a Novel", Elizabeth Bowen declares, "Nothing can happen nowhere." . . . Luckily for Stacey Swann, her appealing debut novel, Olympus, Texas, has plenty of somewhere for its cast of memorable characters to enact their displays of love, lust, rage and resentment . . . Swann's novel is most successful at its violent, surprising turning point. I won't dare to give it away. I read without breathing - OK, maybe I gasped - and I experienced the characters' grief and regret as if they were my own . . . I could have stayed in this particular somewhere for a long while * New York Times * The Iliad meets Friday Night Lights in this muscular, captivating debut * Oprah Daily * A gorgeous debut that conjures one small town and the big emotions of its wealthiest family, the Briscoes, whose saga plays out over six days of pain, rage and love. * People, Best of Summer 2021 * The novel is based on Greek myths but you don't need to know your Zeus from your Apollo to enjoy this saga full of deceit and drama. * Good Housekeeping * Beautifully written and filled with atmosphere... a hugely accomplished debut. * Prima * Secrets, lies and deceptions with Greek myth-like undertones... A literary family saga that spans one week and packs in everything from infidelity to a shooting. * High Life * A boisterous, big-hearted, modern family saga, in which marriages struggle, rivalries flare and secrets explode. There's adultery, betrayal, messy relationships, rage, grace, shocking revelations, addiction, pain and redemption. Perfect for fans of Big Little Lies * Best magazine * A powerful family in a small Texas town is wracked by miseries of its own making... Swann's debut is rich in Texas flavor and full of nods to classical mythology-quotes from Ovid, twins human and canine, and the kind of relentless bad luck that usually means you've offended a deity. A total page-turner. * Kirkus (starred review) * Olympus, Texas is the most wildly entertaining novel I've read in a long time, and Stacey Swann is a writer to watch. * Richard Russo, author of EMPIRE FALLS, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction * In this reimagining of the Greek pantheon along the Brazos river, Stacey Swann reveals the resonating wisdom of the ancients while situating us in a fully realized Texas family. The result is an uncanny twin-myth of modern Texas and ancient Greece that feels familiar and strange, loving and painful-like family itself. Olympus, Texas is an achievement of sustained brilliance, and an audacious opening to Swann's fated journey into the canon of greats. * Smith Henderson, author of FOURTH OF JULY CREEK * The endearing characters of Olympus, Texas gallop through a plot luscious with secrets and scandals. Escape to Olympus for the rollicking fun. Stay for the heartbreakingly lyrical writing and tender message about the enduring gift that is family love. * Sarah Bird, author of DAUGHTER OF A DAUGHTER OF A QUEEN * A remarkable debut. A gripping, big-hearted epic, full of characters you may recognize and will absolutely remember. * Jennifer duBois, author of THE SPECTATORS * A moving and exhilarating debut. With exquisite prose and unerring pace, Swann guides us through the strained-loyalties, love affairs, and violent disasters of a rural Texas town populated by characters as vibrant and compelling as the ancient gods they echo. Swann masterfully crafts both soul-stirring moments of connection and gasp-out-loud action - often on the same page. With the wit of Flannery O'Connor and the emotional scope of Donna Tartt, Swann sings family in all its painful, riveting beauty. I love this novel! * Owen Egerton, author of HOLLOW *