Synopses & Reviews
In an elite college in a once-decaying New England city, Steven Brookman has come to a decision. A brilliant but careless professor, he has determined that for the sake of his marriage, and his soul, he must end his relationship with Maud Stack, his electrifying student, whose papers are always late yet always incandescent. But Maud is a young woman whose passions are not easily curtailed, and their union will quickly yield tragic and far-reaching consequences.
As in Robert Stone's most acclaimed novels, here he conjures a complex moral universe where nothing is black and white, even if the characters — always complicated, always compelling — wish it were. Death of the Black-Haired Girl is an irresistible tale of infidelity, accountability, the allure of youth, the promise of absolution, and the notion that madness is everywhere, in plain sight.
Review
"The death of a star student at an upper-crust university unsettles friends, faculty and family in a piercing novel from veteran novelist Stone….A critique of tribalism of all sorts — religious, academic, police — …[Death of the Black-Haired Girl is] an unusual but poised mix of noir and town-and-gown novel, bolstered by Stone's well-honed observational skills." Kirkus (starred review)
Synopsis
At an esteemed American college an illicit romance leads to tragedy in Robert Stone's most compelling novel since the bestselling Damascus Gate.
About the Author
Robert Stone is the acclaimed author of seven novels and two story collections, including Dog Soldiers, winner of the National Book Award, and Bear and His Daughter, a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. His memoir, Prime Green, was published in 2006.