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The People's Act of Love

by James Meek

The People's Act of Love Cover

ISBN13: 9781841958774
ISBN10: 1841958778
Condition: Standard
All Product Details

Only 1 left in stock at $4.50!

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

In a remote Siberian village, amid a lawless, unforgiving landscape, lives Anna Petrovna, a beautiful, willfully self-reliant widowed mother. A mystical, separatist Christian sect, a stranded regiment of restless Czech soldiers, and an eerie local shaman live nearby, all struggling against the elements and great social upheaval to maintain a fragile coexistence.

Out of the woods trudges Samarin, an escapee from Russia’s northernmost prison camp, with a terrifyingly outlandish story to tell about his journey. Immediately apprehended, he is brought before the Czech regiment’s megalomaniac, Captain Matula. But the stranger’s appearance has caught the attention of others, including Anna Petrovna’s.

This stranger, his bizarre story—if it is to be believed—and the apparent murder of the local shaman quickly become a flashpoint for this village: temperatures rise, alliances shift, and betrayals emerge. Written with a commanding historical authority and remarkable grace, The People’s Act of Love is an epic of desire and sacrifice that leaves the reader utterly mesmerized through to the final heart-pounding pages.

Synopsis:

"Set during the waning days of the Russian revolution, Meek's utterly absorbing novel captivates with its depiction of human nature in all its wartime extremes. This original, literary page-turner succeeds both with its credible psychological detail and in its grandeur and sweep."--"Publishers Weekly," starred review.

Synopsis:

In the outer reaches of a country recently torn apart by civil war lives a small Christian sect and its enigmatic leader, Balashov. Anna Petrovna, a beautiful, restless photographer, is raising her young son by herself amid this brutal landscape. Stationed nearby is a company of Czech soldiers, desperate to get home but on the losing side of the recent conflict. Each soldier lives in a fragile co-existence and a troubling uncertainty prevails. Into this isolated community trudges Samarin, an escapee from Russia's northernmost prison camp. Immediately apprehended, he is brought before Captain Matula, the Czech company's megalomaniac commander. But the stranger's appearance has caught the attention of others, including that of Anna Petrovna. And when a local shaman is found murdered, suspicion and terror engulf this village. To be published in twenty countries, The People's Act of Love is quite simply magnificent storytelling and it promises to be an auspicious literary event.

What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 1 comment:
Peter Anderson, October 19, 2006 (view all comments by Peter Anderson)
The novel is a stunning achievement, one with an epic sweep which still manages to convey the small details of people?s everyday lives. It?s a story of love, suspense and war which asks some very big philosophical questions which, in intriguingly ambiguous fashion, are only partially answered. Simply put, it's one of the finest books I've read in years.
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Product Details

ISBN:
9781841958774
Author:
Meek, James
Publisher:
Canongate Books
Subject:
Literary
Publication Date:
December 2006
Binding:
Paperback
Language:
English
Pages:
391
Dimensions:
8.14x5.50x.97 in. .99 lbs.

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