Literary legend David Adams Richards follows the epic Miramichi
Trilogy with a startling standalone novel of concentrated power.
The Raskin brothers were once proud to be producers of a much
sought-after material of great benefit to society--asbestos. But now
their mine is under close scientific scrutiny, with reports of serious
illness linked to the place. The world is changing, no doubt for the
better...
But in the shadow of the mine, the values of a whole community are
transforming, in more sinister ways. The Raskins' nephew Byron, a war
hero and man of wealth, urges the brothers to look for other, less toxic
minerals to extract. But meanwhile his own world is unravelling in ways
that are unlikely ever to be fixed. His wife Carmel, whom he
vaingloriously believed he was rescuing with his marriage proposal, has
become an intellectual and political poseur. She and her son Albert are
contemptuous of the values of Byron and his kind, while still finding
use for his wealth and property. Carmel and Albert, it seems, are
heralds of a new world addicted to mimicry and empty self-promotion, to
delusions and temptations. Its victims are growing in number: a college
professor in town is falsely accused of sexual harassment; a young woman
is slipped an hallucinogen at a party with appalling consequences for
her and two boys. And what of poor, naive Eva Mott, the captivating
beauty who wished to be like her talented cousin Clara? Her story and
the book that bears her name will haunt you.
The Tragedy of Eva Mott has all the power and brilliance--and many
flashes of wry humour--of David Adams Richards at the very top of his
form. It will attract controversy but its fierce authenticity cannot be
denied.
