Fiction. Deep in the mountains of British Columbia, across an
unforgiving landscape, one man's pursuit of a fabled mountain lion leads
him into the furthest reaches of himself. As he struggles to confront
the wilderness surrounding him--from the baying hounds to the relentless
northern snows--he journeys into his own haunted memories: a life of
wild horses and ballet, fishing skiffs and blizzards, tropical seas and
dolphins. Through wind, snow, and the depths of grief, he asks what
price he is willing to exact on a world that ravages what we love, and
whether redemption awaits those who learn to forgive. A tender story of
love and a modern-day parable, The Dark Heart of Every Wild Thing, the
debut novel from acclaimed poet Joseph Fasano, guides us into the
deepest territories of the human heart.
Joseph Fasano has the heart and the ear and he puts them to magnificent
use in THE DARK HEART OF EVERY WILD THING. By turns mournful and
thrilling, this story, told in precise and glorious prose, traverses the
wild heights of grief, vengeance, tenderness, and love. It pierces.--Sam
Lipsyte
A father, a boy, and a mountain lion. If it sounds like the start of a
parable, that's because THE DARK HEART OF EVERY WILD THING has wisdom to
share. But that wisdom is complicated, surprising, and at times even
vicious. What seems at first like a quiet book is actually quite fierce,
not unlike the big cat at the center of its story. This elegiac novel is
a moving meditation on grief, love, and obsession.--Erica Wright
Joseph Fasano is a wonderfully gifted writer. He writes evocatively,
lyrically, and never fails to surprise us with his revelations and
illuminations. His insights are deep, his delineation of character and
place immensely satisfying. He gives us a story that keeps resonating
long after we have finished reading.--Nicholas Christopher
