Marvel and a Wonder

By Joe Meno

Winner of the Society of Midland Authors Award for the Region's Best Books of 2015 (Adult Fiction)

Named a Booklist Editors' Choice for 2015

Longlisted for the American Library Association's 2016 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction

"Compelling and necessary....[Meno] has a knack for giving small happenings emotional weight....Meno knows how to make you love his characters, want what they want. But don't think he's going to let things turn out well for them. Marvels and wonders aren't worth the trouble. Fortunately, this book is."
--New York Times Book Review

"[A] rugged page-turner....There's a bit of the country noir of Daniel Woodrell's Winter's Bone in the stark atmosphere Mr. Meno evokes (A faded town, fading, harried with dusty light, midafternoon), and a bit of the Clint Eastwood movie Gran Torino in the story of the vigilante grandfather. But the writing is propulsive enough to make you forget its influences. And at moments the book's consuming darkness is lifted by potent, if inscrutable visions of the talismanic horse--a flash of lightning curving along the horizon."
--Wall Street Journal

"But in two new books--a big novel, Marvel and a Wonder, and the anthology Chicago Noir: The Classics, published simultaneously in early September by Akashic in hardcover and paperback--we're reminded that Meno has a dark side that on occasion he lets out of jail, allowing it to cast a long and menacing shadow."
--Chicago Tribune

"Evoking William Faulkner and Cormac McCarthy, Meno's suspenseful, mordantly incisive, many-layered tale can also be read as an equine Moby-Dick. As he tracks the bewildering seismic shifts under way in America, Meno celebrates everyday marvels, including the hard-proven love between grandfather and grandson."
--Booklist, Starred review

"In this high-stakes, mordantly incisive, compassionate drama, Quentin, a mixed-race teen, is spending the summer with Jim, his white grandfather, when a magnificent white racehorse is inexplicably delivered to Jim’s Indiana farm."
--Booklist, Editors' Choice

"Talented Meno has penned a wise and touching novel of love, loyalty, courage; an extraordinary book not to be missed."
--Library Journal, Starred review

Marvel and a Wonder . . . [is] a great contemporary Western that’s deliciously dark and full of unpleasant characters. I loved it, for whatever grim reason that lurks in my soul (and it’s got a fantastic cover), though I’d say it’s probably not for the faint of heart.”
-- Library Journal,"What We/re Reading" Section

Marvel and a Wonder is a darkly mesmerizing epic and literary page-turner set at the end of the twentieth century. In summer 1995, Jim Falls, a Korean War vet, struggles to raise his sixteen-year-old grandson, Quentin, on a farm in southern Indiana. In July, they receive a mysterious gift--a beautiful quarter horse--which upends the balance of their difficult lives. The horse's appearance catches the attention of a pair of troubled, meth-dealing brothers and, after a violent altercation, the horse is stolen and sold. Grandfather and grandson must travel the landscape of the bleak heartland to reclaim the animal and to confront the ruthless party that has taken possession of it. Along the way, both will be forced to face the misperceptions and tragedies of their past.

Evoking the writing of William Faulkner and Denis Johnson, this brilliant, deeply moving work explores the harrowing, often beautiful marvels of a nation challenged by its own beliefs. Ambitious, expansive, and laden with suspense, Marvel and a Wonder presents an unforgettable pair of protagonists at the beginning of one America and the end of another.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Akashic Books
• Release date: Aug 10, 2015
• ISBN: 9781617754128

Joe Meno

Joe Meno is the author of over five novels such as The Great Perhaps,which was a winner of the Great Lakes Book Award for Fiction in 2009 and a New York Times Book Review Editor's Choice. His short fiction has been published by the likes of McSweeney's, Witness and TriQuarterly. He is a professor of creative writing at Columbia College Chicago.

Reviews for Marvel and a Wonder

[cattylj-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'm not sure how or why, but this is actually my first time experiencing the mythical and awesome Joe Meno. He has a truly fantastic voice and all of the characters were rendered beautifully. He is one of those gifted authors who can conjure up the precise ambiance they're looking for and create such expressive and human characters that it seems almost effortless. In that sense, I really enjoyed this book and will be looking to add more Meno to my TBR.That said, there's something about horses that I just don't dig. They're beautiful and impressive (and my mom says I "just don't understand"), but I don't care about them. I think Black Beauty scarred me as a child and now when a horse is a central component of a story, my heart closes up to protect itself against such anguish. However - Joe Meno made me care a little bit. I was deeply concerned for that horse's safety and well being and was hoping against all hope that it would make it out alright. I was much more concerned for the safety and well being of the grandfather and his grandson, however, and in building the suspense of their story I think Meno was right on point. The last 50 pages or so get a little cyclical and repetitive, kind of drawn out, but then those last 10 pages are oh so worth it.

[dallenbaugh_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Joe Meno has written a novel that is many times painful to read but is also quite touching as its main characters attempt to give meaning to lives that are often difficult and sad. Jim Falls has taken on the care of his grandson Quentin when his daughter, hooked on drugs, disappears in the night. Jim lost his wife several years ago and at 71 doesn't really understand the boy and doesn't know how best to give him a proper home and guidance. They live on an out of the way chicken ranch near a small town in Indiana and their lives seems to be going nowhere with bills piling up predicting a dim future when out of the blue a truck and trailer with a handsome white horse appears and is given to them from an unknown source. This seems to be the beginning of the turnaround to their fortunes as the horse is both beautiful and fast and wins some races for them bringing in much needed money and maybe even more important bringing them hope. But their luck is a long way from continuing when the horse is stolen and Jim and Quentin are bonded in their desperate attempt to find the horse while encountering a number of unsavory characters along the way. This is not the type of book I would normally choose to read, but even with the brutality and sadness Joe Meno has written a compelling book in precise and convincing language that makes you care about Jim and Quentin and makes you want to know the outcome of their chase after the horse who represents their hopes and dreams.

[sean191 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Yes! Joe Meno! THIS is why I continue to participate in the early reviewers program! I've had an uneven relationship with Akashic Books. Some of their titles have been hits for me and some have been big misses. I don't think they'll ever reach the level of an Algonquin Books where I can be almost sure to love a book I pick up from them, but I still feel pretty good figuring Akashic will do right by me. Yet, the last book I read from the publisher had me rethinking. Meno's book put things back on track.Meno's book brings in a short list of characters - I'd say three, possibly four main characters, but another four or five strong supporting characters and each are so distinctive that they're easy to keep in mind as the story bounces back and forth between each before they meet up. There's some suspense, drama, melancholy, tenderness even humor. Everything...this book is a Marvel and Wonder. Probably halfway through the book, I found it harder and harder to put down without reading through to the end in one shot and I would have if life outside of literary pursuits wasn't so demanding. I think this is the closest to a book with the potential to be a classic Akashic has put out that I've read. I hope it gets serious promotional backing.Highly recommend the read!

[yourotherleft_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Marvel and a Wonder by Joe Meno is the story of 71 year-old Jim Falls whose farm is failing, whose daughter is an addict, and whose mixed-race grandson is a sensitive, oddball of a kid who immerses himself in a world of video games and breeding exotic pets; a kid who Jim just can't relate to other than with passing pity. Into this bleak landscape drops an unexpected inheritance of unknown origin, a white race horse, a speeding beacon of hope that brings grandfather and grandson together and might well be the end of the family's financial difficulties. Fate can't leave the Falls family alone, though, so naturally (spoiler alert?), some wretched miscreants steal the horse.(Okay, I'm done with the spoilers now.)Marvel and a Wonder is well written, starkly depicting mid-western landscape and unlikeable characters with convincing realism. My biggest problem with Marvel and a Wonder is that it is *too depressing.* I have a penchant for dark, depressing books, but only if I can find a kernel of hope in them. Meno seems to make a grab for that hope at the end, but it seems too little and too late. After a few hundred pages of desperately wanting something better for this struggling family, seeing it fall into their lap, and then slip from their grasp, what little resolution and closure Meno provides simply isn't enough.

[jbarringer-2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

If you like horses (I don't) and creative grammar, this book may be more appealing for you than it was for me. I could see this novel as one assigned to a college English class, and it might make a good book club choice, especially for groups located in the mid-western US, where the decline of small towns and rural communities is a major issue. I found the ending unsatisfying and the whole novel was a bit too steeped in symbolism for my taste, but it was still a decent novel, maybe more of a 3.8 star rating than a 4, but again, for someone who likes horses and poetry disguised as prose, this is more of a 4-star book.

I won my copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway.

[paperbackpirate · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A chicken farmer from Indiana attempts to raise his teenage grandson in this story of another American family reorganized by methamphetamine. The grandfather is forced to deal with his racist issues dating back to his time as an MP in the Korean War, because his grandson is half-black. The mysterious inheritance of a white race horse begins to bridge the generation gap between the two, but is stolen, setting the grandfather and grandson off on a race to reclaim it. At the end of the book, the pure beauty of the story made me cry. I will definitely be reading more from Joe Meno.

[primosparadise · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Got this as an ARC from Librarything ER in exchange for a review. Really, really liked this. This is a story about the evolving relationship between a grandfather and his biracial grandson; however, race never really seems to rear its head except peripherally. Their life is just on the edge of poverty on a chicken ranch where time doesn't just seem to pass them by but actually seems to go right through them as if they were ghosts from another time. Until a white race horse enters their lives and sets the novel charging forward to try to catch up with time in the most violent of ways. All of a sudden the grandfather morphed into Clint for me (albeit Clint from Trouble with the Curve and with much less self-assurance). People get hurt and badly damaged in a very Cormac McCarthy way. Bad people begot bad or even worse people. But with some religious undertones and less than satisfactory salvation, the author seems to make it all work. I don't require happy endings and certainly not anything rivaling neatness, and I got neither here. But loved it quite a lot.

[faceinbook · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Mr. Meno sets a time and place. He also is very good at creating an atmosphere. While many of the characters in this book acted in ways that were less than desirable, they became "real" to the reader. This is talent and Joe Meno has a lot of it. I had never heard of this author and chose this book because it sounded different. Something I wouldn't normally read. I am so glad I did. I liked it very much, enough to search out some of Joe Meno's previous novels. The story is unusual yet contains enough common elements to keep the reader engaged, The interaction between the grandfather and the grandson was touching. The story was bleak and some of the characters seemed beyond redemption but the bonding between the grandfather and the grandson provided a beacon of hope. I facilitate two book groups. We read a variety of genres and subject matters. I have found that "nice" stories entertain us while "harsh" stories make us think. Both types of story have a purpose but for a group read, I think that, though the subject in "Marvel and A Wonder" is on the dark side, the book will lead to a great discussion. The writing, in my opinion, is fantastic.

[sarahkat84-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I so wanted to like this book. I love books and horses. One of the few among my bookish friends. But this is just a book built on misery. Well written. But I felt like I was being swallowed by quick sand in a not so quick manner. Not a happy feeling and not a book I would have finished if I weren't reading to review.

[hemlokgang · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I could not put this book down. It is truly a marvel and a wonder! Joe Meno has written a novel about family, good v. evil, hope, and above all else, love. A grandfather and grandson journey to save their unexpected windfall of a racehorse. Along the way they fight for their very survival. The plot had me right to the end, the dark aspects were oh so dark, but the glimmer and shine of love and hope are always there, not in a sappy way at all. A marvelous read, a very well-written novel, and maybe even a classic in the making!

[carolynschroeder · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I question whether there is some unwritten rule I am aware of that says whenever an author writes about anyone from Southern/rural parts of the United States, they must be soul-less, meth - or other drugs/sex/alcohol - addled, animal abusing idiots. This novel follows that deep belief as our main characters, a man and his grandson (who are not soul-less, meth-addled idiots, but surrounded by a throng of humans who are, and abuse them at every turn), as they chase these kinds of folks all over Southern Indiana and Kentucky to retrieve a horse they mistakenly inherited. Of course, it is a bad, bad stretch of days for the poor horse, most of all. The upside is Meno's writing is technically great and I would love to read about more interesting, less cliche, less repugnant characters. I did like the grandfather (Jim) and the grandson (Quentin) (of course, left in grandfather's care by meth-addicted mother) well enough. They at least had some heart here or there, and their conversations, especially considering how different they were, where some very sweet, kind, interesting moments in a mostly tedious road-trip kind of story. Anyway, this one was a "miss" for me. It was a struggle to get through the second half and I kept dreading whatever I would have to read that the bunch of losers did to each other, and the poor horse.

[lisapeet · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this, although it's pretty brutal and bloody and full of unrepentantly nasty characters. Definitely not for the faint of heart. But I think Meno writes like an angel—proof positive being that I, who have a low threshold for violence or animals in peril, ate it up. More in a real review later.

[abealy_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

America is on life-support in Joe Meno’s new novel, Marvel and a Wonder. A landscape of ghost towns and strip malls peopled by drug zombies and the terminally disenfranchised serves as the background to a tender love story about duty, compassion and will. Jim Falls, a Korean War vet is trying to raise his grandson, Quentin, alone on a failing chicken farm in southern Indiana. His junkie daughter has left and Jim tries his best to find some sort of commonality with the boy. The delivery of a mysterious white thoroughbred horse becomes a bridge between the grandfather and his grandson. The theft of the horse soon after leads to a cross-country chase that is as much about love and fellowship as it is about violence, fear and a long-lost America.Meno seems to take particular delight in describing the more damned characters in this novel — dead-end junkies, con men, hardened psychopaths and bed-ridden patriarchs are marvelously described. Marvel and a Wonder is a harrowing story told with a steady hand, and very much worth the read.

[lauriebrown54 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a very brutal story, very different from what I’d normally read. But something in the description kept me coming back to look at it, and finally I couldn’t resist. I’m glad I didn’t; once I started reading the book, I couldn’t put it down. Jim Falls, widower and chicken farmer, is fighting a losing battle with the bills. The electricity is about to be shut off. His daughter is a drug addict who steals things from her dad and eventually abandons her 16 year old son as she chases the next high. The son, Quintin, is biracial with no idea who his father is. He is, despite his chaotic upbringing, a sweet youth. Extremely lonely – not much company for a biracial kid in a rural Indiana town that is economically dead- he plays video games and listens to NWA when not helping his grandfather with the chickens. He doesn’t actually have attitude; he cries when chicks die and demands they be given funerals. Then a mistake by a legal firm executing an estate results in a gorgeous white quarter horse arriving on the farm. Rodrigo, the illegal worker on the farm, is the only one who knows what to do with a horse. The horse is a thing of beauty, and it turns out that the horse runs like the wind- and might be a way out of poverty for the Falls. Things are finally looking up. But of course this is a book where nothing can go right, and the horse is promptly stolen from the Falls, and Jim is shot. But Jim, veteran of the Korean War, is not going to let that stop him from getting that horse back. The main bulk of the book follows the multi-state pursuit, and the point of view switches between Quintin, Jim, the people who stole the horse, the soulless guy who takes the horse from them, and the girl that same guy is forcibly bringing back to her grandfather. The way it’s put together had me breathless to know how it was going to end, because so many forces were coming together. In the end, it’s a story of a growing relationship, a boy coming of age, of right against wrong. I might not have much liked the characters at the beginning, but in the end, I cared deeply about them. It’s brilliant.

[hubblegal-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is a marvel and a wonder indeed! I truly enjoyed the heart-wrenching emotional journey it took me on. This beautiful story filled my heart with wonder until it was overflowing. It’s a magical, compelling and utterly unique book.The author has written a multi-layered love story between a grumpy grandfather, the grandson who bewilders him and an astonishing horse. The hope that this horse brings into their lives begins to form a connection between them. That new-found hope is in peril when the horse, which is both financially and emotionally valuable, is stolen from them. Their pursuit after the thieves will have you on the edge of your seat. But the suspenseful chase isn’t the heart of this book. The heart of this book lies in the beauty that unfolds within its pages, the glimpses into the lives and pasts of this man and boy. This author has the mind and soul of a poet. I felt so connected with the main characters and could empathize with them completely and cared about their plight. And of course there’s the amazing horse, who will find a place in your heart and will never leave.This is a literary creation by a gifted author. It’s the first book I’ve read by this author. He’s been compared to William Faulkner and Cormac McCarthy, but I’d like to add another comparison: John Steinbach. A book that is well-deserving of the many awards that I have no doubt will be coming its way. Highly recommended to those who enjoy literary achievements.I won this book through LibraryThing with the understanding that I would give an honest review in return.