Staff Pick
Jonathan Evison gives us the feel-good book of the year with Lawn Boy. Twenty-two-year-old Mike's world is falling apart: his job is toast, he has no money, he can't get a girlfriend, he worries constantly about his overworked mother and his special needs brother. All he wants to do is sculpt his topiaries, read great novels, figure out how to survive, and maybe find some companionship. Falling into one strange job after another, Mike is floundering, but also having his eyes opened: he's suddenly becoming much more socially and politically aware. Watching Mike bloom, discover his true self, and start to see the real injustices in the world is satisfying and sweet. A coming-of-age tale that will grab your heart and make you cheer, Lawn Boy is the story we need in these dark days, and Evison has beautifully answered that call. Bravo! Recommended By Dianah H., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
Recipient of the 2019 Alex Award
“Mike Muñoz Is a Holden Caulfield for a New Millennium — a '10th-generation peasant with a Mexican last name, raised by a single mom on an Indian reservation'...Evison, as in his previous four novels, has a light touch and humorously guides the reader, this time through the minefield that is working-class America.” The New York Times Book Review
For Mike Muñoz, life has been a whole lot of waiting for something to happen. Not too many years out of high school and still doing menial work — and just fired from his latest gig as a lawn boy on a landscaping crew — he’s smart enough to know that he’s got to be the one to shake things up if he’s ever going to change his life. But how? He’s not qualified for much of anything. He has no particular talents, although he is stellar at handling a lawn mower and wielding clipping shears. But now that career seems to be behind him. So what’s next for Mike Muñoz?
In this funny, biting, touching, and ultimately inspiring novel, bestselling author Jonathan Evison takes the reader into the heart and mind of a young man determined to achieve the American dream of happiness and prosperity — who just so happens to find himself along the way.
Review
“Jonathan Evison can write about anything and make it sing with hard-bitten empathy....Tough and strangely sweet at the same time.” Luis Alberto Urrea, author of Queen of America
Review
“A triumph from the ground up...finally a book that zooms in on social strata without flinching or copping out.” Lidia Yuknavitch, author of The Book of Joan
Review
“Jonathan Evison's voice is pure magic. He is a consummate world builder; in his unique universe, there is heartbreak and love and tragedy, and — always — laughter.” Kristin Hannah, author of The Nightingale
Synopsis
Atop the American Library Association's Most Banned Books lists for the past two years, this award-winning novel takes readers into the heart and humor of a young man determined to achieve the ever-changing American dream--who just so happens to find himself along the way. "Mike Mu oz Is a Holden Caulfield for a New Millennium." --The New York Times Book Review For Mike Mu oz, life has been a whole lot of waiting for something to happen. Not too many years out of high school and still doing menial work--and just fired from his latest gig as a lawn boy on a landscaping crew--he's smart enough to know that he's got to be the one to shake things up if he's ever going to change his life. But how? He's not qualified for much of anything. He has no particular talents, although he is stellar at handling a lawn mower and wielding clipping shears. But now that career seems to be behind him. So what's next for Mike Mu oz? Funny, biting, sweet, and ultimately inspiring novel, bestselling author Jonathan Evison's coming-of-age novel evokes the lives of working class people with compassion and honesty.
About the Author
Jonathan Evison is the author of four previous novels, including All About Lulu, West of Here, The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving, and This Is Your Life, Harriet Chance! He lives with his wife and family in Washington State.