Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Used - Very Good. . . All orders guaranteed and ship within 24 hours. Your purchase supports More Than Words, a nonprofit job training program for youth, empowering youth to take charge of their lives by taking charge of a business.

Synopsis

From an author whose work has been praised for its "wit, subtle compassion, and an offbeat originality" (Boston Globe) comes a novel as unforgettable as it is compelling. An endearing blend of fable, fairy tale, and page-turner, The Watermelon King brings readers back to Ashland, Alabama--immortalized in Big Fish--a fictional town whose identity is based on its long-ago abundance of watermelons. Thomas Rider knows almost nothing about his parents, only that his mother died the day he was born in Ashland. He travels there and interviews the townspeople, learning of the town's bizarre past. Most importantly, he learns about the Watermelon Festival, which at one time occurred annually and would symbolically ensure the continued fertility of the crop that sustained them--and how his mother came to destroy it. Piecing together his own identity, as well as that of the town, Thomas finds himself immersed in a series of events that turns everything he knows upside down. Outrageous at times and heartbreaking at others, The Watermelon King is a vivid exploration of the power of history and of storytelling, of identity and myth. This novel is Wallace's most provocative and inventive work to date.

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Details

Bookseller: More Than Words Inc. (US)
Bookseller's Inventory #: BOS-V-13c-00464
Title: The Watermelon King
Author: Wallace, Daniel
Book Condition: Used - Very Good
Binding: Trade Cloth
ISBN 10: 0618221387
ISBN 13: 9780618221387
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Place of Publication: Boston
This edition first published: 2003-02-26

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About More Than Words Inc.

More Than Words empowers youth who are in foster care, court-involved, homeless or out of school to take charge of their lives by taking charge of a business. MTW believes that when system-involved youth are challenged with authentic and increasing responsibilities in a business setting, and are given high expectations and a culture of support, they can and will address personal barriers to success, create concrete action plans for their lives, and become contributing members of society. More Than Words began as an online bookselling training program for youth in DCF custody in 2004 and opened its vibrant bookstore on Moody St in Waltham in 2005 and added its Starbucks coffee bar in 2008. MTW replicated its model in the South End of Boston in 2011, thereby doubling the number of youth served annually.