July, July

July, July

<DIV>€œInsidiously, compulsively readable.€ €" MSNBC <br><br>At the thirtieth reunion of the Darton Hall College class of 1969, ten old friends join their classmates for a summer weekend of dancing, drinking, flirting, reminiscing, and regret. The three decades since graduation have brought marriage and divorce, children and careers, hopes deferred and replaced.<I> July, July</I> tells the heart-rending and often hilarious story of men and women who came into adulthood at a moment when American ideals and innocence began to fade. These lives will ring familiar to anyone who has dreamed, worked, and struggled to keep course toward a happy ending.<br><br>With humor and a sense of wistful hope, <I>July, July</I> speaks directly to the American character and its resilience, striking deep at the emotional center of our lives. <br><br>"A symphony of American life.€ €" <I>All Things Considered</I>, NPR <br><br>€œA small-scale tour de force by an American original . . . O€Brien is one of the most accomplished members of a generation of writers that includes Don DeLillo and Thomas Pynchon.€ €"<I> Atlanta Journal-Constitution </I><br><br>"Astonishing for [its] clarity of character, for [its] narrative thrills and surprises, for [its] humor and hard-won wisdom . . . <I>July, July</I> gives readers plenty of reasons to celebrate." €" <I>Chicago Sun-Times </I><br><br>"Perceptive, affectionate and often very funny." €" <I>Boston Herald </I><br><br>"A deeply satisfying story . . . O€Brien is intelligent and daring, but he is also eminently accessible.€ €" <I>O, the Oprah Magazine</I><br><br>"Taut and compelling." €"<I> Los Angeles Times Book Review<br></I><br>"Beautifully realized, heartbreakingly honest." €" <I>Providence Journal-Bulletin <br></I><br>€œAlmost impossible to put down.€ €" <I>Austin American-Statesman </I><br></DIV>