Synopses & Reviews
In his fifth novel, the much praised author of Crazy in Alabama gives us the wild, comic, and ultimately moving odyssey of a 1970s folk-rock star, Ben "Superman" Willis.
Superman has been riding a wave of success in the years since the Beatles broke up and rock and roll wore itself out. But stardom is not what he thought it would be: the only time he's truly happy is when he's up in his plane, flying alone to the next concert, his son Ben Junior stashed at home in L.A., and his wife Alexa--a former Miss Southwest Louisiana--following along in a bus down below.
One night, after a show in El Paso, he flies head-on into the adventure of his life. A fierce thunderstorm, an emergency landing in Mexico, and some mind-blowing dope send him thousands of miles off course to a perilous crash landing on a beautiful, mysterious tropical island--a vision of Paradise, and, on the beach, a remarkable female apparition.
Back home, Alexa and Ben Junior are stunned by the news of Superman's disappearance. The out-of-this-world memorial concert at the Hollywood Bowl is no more than a brief distraction from the cataclysmic changes that occur when a man vanishes from the face of the earth. What they don't know, and what Superman will learn only slowly, is that he's very much alive, trapped against his will in a place where famous people go to disappear.
Gone for Good is the story of Superman's life on this island, a collection of famous and notorious people from all over the world hiding a terrible secret. It's also the story of Ben Junior's search for his father, and a spiritual exploration of the mysteries of celebrity, success, money, love, sex . . . and magic.
Synopsis
The tragicomic odyssey of a 1970s folk-rock star.
Ben "Superman" Willis has been riding a wave of success. But stardom is not what he thought it would be, and these days he's truly happy only when he's up in his plane. Sometimes he finds himself wishing he could just fly away from it all...
One night, after a show, he flies head-on into the adventure of his life: a wild thunderstorm sends him thousands of miles off course to a crash landing on a beautiful, mysterious tropical island -- a vision of Paradise, with a remarkable female apparition on the beach.
Gone for Good is the story of Superman's life on this island -- a place hiding a terrible secret, a place where famous and notorious people from all over the world have come to disappear. A place Superman finds he can't leave when the delights of escape wear thin and he longs to return to his glamorous life, his gorgeous, troubled wife, Alexa, and of course his beloved Ben Junior.
A thrilling story, a son's search for his father, a father's search for himself, an exciting, original, funny exploration of the mysteries of celebrity, money, love, sex, and magic.
About the Author
Mark Childress was born in Alabama, grew up in the Midwest and the South, and was graduated from the University of Alabama. His articles and reviews have appeared in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Times Literary Supplement, Southern Living, and the Birmingham News, among other publications. He is the author of three children's books and four previous novels, A World Made of Fire, V for Victor, Tender, and Crazy in Alabama. He lives in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica.