The All-True Travels and Adventures of Lidie Newton A Novel

THENEWYORKTIMESBESTSELLERPulitzerPrize-winningauthorofAThousandAcres"Rousing...Action-packed...Agrippingstoryaboutlove,fortitude,andconvictionsthatareworthfightingfor."--LosAngelesTimesANEWYORKTIMESNOTABLEBOOK"POWERFUL...SmileytakesusbacktoKansasin1855,aplaceofrisingpassionsandvastuncertainties.Narratedinthespirited,unsentimentalvoiceof20-year-oldLidieNewton,thenovelisatonceanambitiousexaminationofaturningpointinhistoryandtherivetingstoryofonewoman'sjourneyintounchartedregionsofplaceandself."--ChicagoTribune"[A]grandtaleofthemoralandpoliticalupheavalsignitingantebellumfrontierlifeandaheroinesowonderfullyfleshedandunforgettableyouwillthinkyouarelisteningtoherstoryinsteadofreadingit.SmileymayhavesnaredaPulitzerforAThousandAcres...butitiswithLydia(Lidie)HarknessNewtonthatsheemphaticallycapturesourhearts....ThekeywordinSmiley'stitleisAdventures,andLydia'sarecrammedwithbreathlessmovement,danger,andtension;populatedbyterrificallyentertainingcharactersandsecurelygroundedintellingdetail."--TheMiamiHerald"SMILEYBRILLIANTLYEVOKESMID-19TH-CENTURYLIFE....Richlyimaginedandsuperblywritten,JaneSmiley'snewnovelisanextraordinaryaccomplishmentinanalreadydistinguishedcareer."--AtlantaJournal-Constitution"ASPRAWLINGEPIC...Agarrulous,nights-by-the-hearthnarrativenotunlikethoseclassicsoftheperioditemulates.Infollowingarebelliousyoungwomanof1855intoKansasTerritoryandbeyond,thenovelissopersuasivelyauthenticthatitreadslikeaforgottendocumentfromthedaysofTwainandStowe."--TheBostonSundayGlobe"CONSISTENTLYENTERTAINING,FILLEDWITHACTIONANDIDEAS."--TheNewYorkTimesBookReview"ENGAGING...[A]HARROWINGADVENTURE...Thispicaresquetalepresentsaseriesofremarkablecharacters,particularlyintheinexperiencednarrator,whosegraphicdescriptionsoftravelanddomesticlifebeforetheCivilWarstripawayromanticnotionsofsimplertimes....Smileyhascreatedanauthenticvoiceinthisstruggleofayoungwomantolivesimplyamidaswirlofdeadlyantagonism."--TheChristianScienceMonitor"Afinehistoricalnovelthatdescribesafascinatingtimeandplace...Itisbothfunnyandsubtle,richinideas...Smileyhascreatedabetterall-aroundpieceoffictionthananyofherpreviouswork,includingthePulitzerPrize-winningAThousandAcres."--TheWallStreetJournal"Smileyisawriterofrareversatilitywhotravelswidelyinhercreativeendeavors.Sheprovedhermasteryofbothshortfictionandthenovelwiththreesterlingworks(TheAgeofGrief,OrdinaryLoveandGoodWill,andAThousandAcres);herfondnessforhistoryhadalreadybeenestablishedwithTheGreelanders.In1995,shesuccessfullyextendedherrepertoiretocomedywiththehilariousacademicsatireMoo.Whathernewnovelshareswithalltheseworksisitsauthorialintelligence."--TheBostonSundayGlobe????????????????????????????????????????????????????????"JaneSmileyisnothingifnotprotean,aliteraryventriloquistofincrediblerange....Thisisanovelthatmanagestocombinetheevocativestoryteller'svoicewiththemoviemaker'ssenseofdramaandvisuals,anold-fashionedtaletoldwithcontemporarysteamandpanache."--ThePhiladelphiaInquirer"NotonlyisthisarollickingfeministtaleofawomanwhocanhandleherselfinthethickoftheKansasWars,TheAll-TrueTravelsandAdventuresofLidieNewtonisalsoacomingofagestoryaswellasalastingportraitofthegenuinelytumultuoustimejustbeforetheCivilWar."--TheRaleighNews&Observer"Ataleofloveandwar,revengeandbetrayal,Smiley'sfictionalmemoirinvitescomparisonswithGonewiththeWind,evenWarandPeace....LidieNewtonhastheringofhonestyandtruth.Italsocarriesthestampofitsauthor'shistoricalsense,stylisticverve,andmoralpassion."--St.LouisPost-Dispatch"FullofthesamearrestingauthenticityofdetailthatcarriedAThousandAcres."--NewYorkDailyNews"LIDIEISANUNFORGETTABLECHARACTER...TheAll-TrueTravelsisashowcaseforSmiley'srangeanddexterity,dead-oninitsemotionalimpactandresonantinthepainfultruthsitconveys."--SanDiegoUnion-Tribune"Renderedinsharplylucidproseandfilledwithwonderfulperioddetail...Lidie'sstoryreadslikealongandvariousdream,brightlycoloredandbrilliantlyobserved--ajourneyintoaworldastroubled,ambiguous,andfulloflifeasourown."--ChicagoTribune"Anadventurestory,fullofsuspense,near-misses,andcoincidence...Thefirstandsustainingmarvelof[Smiley's]newnovelisLydiaNewton'svoice:groundedin19th-centuryreserve,yethonest,self-aware,andcurious."--TorontoGlobe&Mail"SmileynabbedaPulitzerforAThousandAcres.Thisstunningneweffortshouldwinequallythunderousacclaim."--Mademoiselle????????"Animmenselyappealingheroine,ahistoricalsettingconveyedwithimpressivefidelityandacharmingandpoignantlovestorymakeSmiley'snewnovelasurecandidateforbestsellerlongevity....PropelledbyLidie'sspiritedvoice,thisnarrativeispackedwithdrama,irony,historicalincident,moralambiguities,andtheperceptionofhumanfrailty....Thisnovelperformsallthefunctionsofsuperiorfiction:inreadingonewoman'smovingstory,weunderstandanhistoricalepoch,thesocialandpoliticalconditionsthatproducedit,andthepsychological,moral,andeconomicmotivationsofthepeoplewhoincitedandendureditsviolentconfrontations."--PublishersWeekly(starredreview)"Gloriouslydetailedandbrilliantlytold,thisisahugelyentertaining,illuminating,andsagaciousvisionofatimeofprofoundmoralandpoliticalconflict,andofonewoman'scomingtotermswiththeperilous,maddening,andpreciousworld."--Booklist(starredreview)"Smileyscalesanotherpeakwiththisbigheartedandthoughtfulpicaresquenovel....[A]richlyentertainingsagaofawomanwhomighthavebeenwellmatchedwithThomasBerger'sLittleBigMan,andwhomHuckFinnwouldhavebeenproudtoclaimashisbigsister."--KirkusReviews(starredreview)????????"HERFINESTWORKYET...ResemblingacrossbetweenthewritingofJaneAusten,StephenCrane,andMarkTwain...Afast-pacedhistoricalridethroughadefiningmomentinournation'shistoryasseenthroughtheeyesofaremarkablewoman....Smiley'sbiggesttriumphisinthecharacterofLidie.Onecanactually'see'hergrowththroughoutthestoryasLidielearnsabouttheambiguityofhumanmorality--andthattruejusticeisrarelyserved."--SanAntonioExpress-News"Highlyrecommended...TrustSmileytotakeasituationchargedwithbothsocialsignificanceandnovelisticopportunityandrideitforallitsworth....Smileygivesusarichlodeofhistoricaldetailyetkeepthestorymoving,sothatitseemstoflowbylikeariverwhileatthesametimeyieldingupitsrichesinleisurelyfashion."--LibraryJournal(starredreview)"LikeColdMountainandBeloved--andwithmorethanacasualnodtoMarkTwain--thissprawlingsagabythePulitzer-winningauthorofAThousandAcresconnectsreaderstothehistoricalissuesofthetime."--Glamour"Ourheroineisahorse-riding,river-swimming,plain-facedyoungwomanwithadistinctlywell-calibratedmindofherown."--TheBaltimoreSun"Along,wildadventure...Lidieneverlosesherpluck,andherstorybecomesbotharichhomagetoAdventuresofHuckleberryFinnandathrillingvariationonthederring-doofLonesomeDove."--Outsidemagazine"[A]gripping,epicnewnovel...TheAll-TrueTravelsisconsistentlyabsorbing,thanksinlargeparttothestrong,vibrantvoiceoftheunforgettableLidieNewton."--GoodHousekeeping"PackedwithactioninasettingworthyofaWesternshoot-'em-up."--NewarkStar-Ledger????????????????????????????????????????????????????????"ROUSING...ACTION-PACKED...Agrippingstoryaboutlove,fortitude,andconvictionsthatareworthfightingforregardlessoftheoutcome....ThevoiceSmileycreatesforhersympatheticandwonderfullyhumanheroineissharp,engaging,wry,andwise."--LosAngelesTimes,