George pemberton and his new bride, serena, maintain a close watch over a burgeoning logging empire. Ron rash has 47 books on goodreads with 181911 ratings. His fiction, which includes several volumes of stories, is usually set in the rural south of the appalachians. Henry prize and winner of the 2011 frank oconnor award for burning bright, a collection of short stories. I wanted so much to be surprised and to have serena be different, to have her be complex and multilayered. Content includes books from bestselling, midlist and debut authors. Rashs masterful balance of violence and beauty yields a riveting novel that, at its core, tells of love both honored and betrayed. Although george has already lived in the camp long enough to father an illegitimate child, serena is new to the mountainsbut she soon shows herself to be the. The book is set around in great depression, in 1929 to be exact. Rashs father went to night school in order to complete a college degree and later became a college professor at gardnerwebb university, in. The year is 1929, and newlyweds george and serena pemberton travel from boston to the north carolina mountains where they plan to create a timber empire. The year is 1929, and newlyweds george and serena pemberton travel from. Rashs poems and stories have appeared in more than 100 magazines and journals.
In the movie galloway was showing a kid where to cut a tree, and as he swung the ax, his knee buckled and he cut off galloways hand. He has been awarded a number of prizes for his works. The character of serena walked the edge of a stereotypical strong, yet witchy woman. Set in 1930s north carolina, the novel tells the story of newlywed couple serena and george pemberton and their timber business. Poet, short story writer and novelist ron rash is the parris distinguished professor in appalachian cultural studies at western carolina university. Ron rashs fourth novel, serena, will prompt instant interest in his first. The first edition of the novel was published in october 7th 2008, and was written by ron rash. When he was eight years old, his family moved back to western north carolina, a region where rashs ancestors had lived since the mid1700s. The book is an artful expansion of pembertons bride, the brilliant standout in rashs story collection chemistry 2007. Ron rash is an american author of novels, short stories, and poetry. A beautiful copy with dust jacket protected by a brodart wrapper the year is 1929, and newlyweds george and serena pemberton arrive in the north carolina mountains to create a timber empire, vowing to let no one stand in their way, especially those.
Ron, a native from the appalachian region, was born in 1953 in chester, south carolina. Henry prize winner ron rash has produced a riveting, epic tale of greed, blood lust and revenge in serena, his fourth novel. Specifically, the setting is the mountains which will one day become the smoky mountain national park. Ron rash was born in chester, south carolina, where both his mother and his father worked in a textile mill. When ron was young, he and his parents moved to boiling springs in western. Rashs chilling gothic tale of greed, corruption, and revenge set against the.
Ron rashs new novel serena catapults him to the front ranks of the best american novelists. It is realistic and earthy, but not raw or unpolished and it helps you visualize the harsh appalachian landscape, full of lore and superstitions, which is slowly falling prey to the needs of the developing, modern world. It is the story of serena, a greedy timber baroness who will stop at nothing to achieve her goals. A new york times bestseller and penfaulkner award finalist, serena by awardwinning author ron rash is masterfully written sprawling, engrossing andfrom time to timenightmarish, san francisco chronicle. His fiction, which includes several volumes of stories, is usually set.
Pemberton is on his way back to north carolina with his new bride, serena, when he gets an unwelcome surprise at the train station. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. George pemberton, a fledgling lumber baron in north carolina in the late 20s, returns from a short trip to boston with an. A second short story from that book, speckled trout, was expanded into the novel the world made straight. Pdf serena book by ron rash free download 371 pages. Serena by ron rash, 9781847674883, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. It is against this background that rash sets the story of serena, newly wed to pemberton and intent on proving herself equal to any worker in this dangerous place. A penfaulkner finalist for serena, he is also a recipient of the o. She is assertive, aggressive, and bold, all things her society deems masculine.
Reading the book, you cant wait until these folks get what they deserve. With bradley cooper, jennifer lawrence, rhys ifans, toby jones. Serena, a highly disturbing story filled with tension and suspense, is a wellwritten tragedy about a passionate marriage that deteriorates at an alarming rate until all that is left is revenge and violence. Ron rash is the author of the 2009 penfaulkner finalist and new york times bestseller serena and above the waterfall, in addition to four prizewinning novels, including the cove, one foot in eden, saints at the river, and the world made straight. We personally assess every books quality and offer rare, outofprint treasures. This novel will make a wonderful movie, and the brave actress who plays serena is a shoein for an academy award nomination. Whats the difference between serena the book and serena. It is another fine example of ron rashs deft handling of the darker notes of selfpreservation at any cost. Serena is the fourth novel by ron rash, but its his first to cross the atlantic. In addition to being a bestselling novelist, rash has achieved international acclaim as a short story author, 3 winning the frank oconnor award in 2010 for burning bright. Rashs chilling gothic tale of greed, corruption, and revenge set against. Rash is a storyteller of the highest rank and serena confirms this from the opening sentence to the final page.
Depressionera lumber baron george pemberton and his callous new wife, serena, are venality incarnate in rashs gothic fourth novel after. New york times book of the year publishers weekly book of the year. Wed love you to buy this book, and hope you find this page convenient in locating a place of purchase. Pemberton and his bride serena return from boston to waynesville, in the north carolina mountains. Download read serena 2008 by ron rash in pdf, epub. All of my wishes were granted and much more by ron rash. Women were expected to be the quiet and submissive type, but not serenashe shakes everyones hand. Early on in the book, we get a lot of descriptions of her in contrast to the typical gender stereotypes so we dont confuse the twothough. From the first she shows herself to be extremely capable, but also singleminded, calculating, fiercely possessive and completely ruthless. Ron rash is a multiawardwinning poet, short story writer and novelist. This bonechilling story is both gripping and blindsiding. Awardwinning and new york times bestselling novelist ron rash conjures a gothic tale of greed, corruption, and revenge with a ruthless, powerful, and unforgettable woman at its heart, set amid the wilds of 1930s north carolina and against the backdrop. Serena and her husband, george pemberton, take on the government in an attempt to stall the national park movement in.
I came to it with low expectations the blurb doesnt do it justice and walked away from it stunned. Ron rash s new novel serena catapults him to the front ranks of the best american novelists. The main characters of this historical, historical fiction story are george pemberton, serena pemberton. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 371 pages and is available in hardcover format. Unfortunately, danish director susanne bier brothers, the oscar. Pembertons bride is the longest and the best of the tales in chemistry. Ron rash is the author of the 2009 penfaulkner finalist and new york times bestselling novel, serena, in addition to three other prizewinning novels, one foot in eden, saints at the river, and the world made straight. Serena by ron rash from the first page to the last, ron rashs storytelling was filled with contrasts between beauty and violence, land preservation versus economic interests, life versus death. His other work includes the novels, one foot in eden and the cove. Galloway stands up and loses his footing and reaches out for the tree just as the ax is being swung. Women were expected to be the quiet and submissive type, but not serena she shakes everyones hand. Waiting at the train station is abe harmon and his pregnant daughter rachel.
In depressionera north carolina, the future of george pembertons timber empire becomes complicated when he marries serena. A site dedicated to book lovers providing a forum to discover and share commentary about the books and authors they enjoy. Serena by ron rash is set in north carolina during the depression. The setting of serena by ron rash is the appalachians, in tennessee and north carolina. See all books authored by ron rash, including serena, and one foot in eden, and more on. Serena was the epitome of a conniving greedy personality. His parents were both bluecollar workers at a textile mill. A new york times bestseller and penfaulkner award finalist, serena by awardwinning author ron rash is masterfully written. Ron rash is the author of the 2009 penfaulkner finalist and new york times bestselling novel serena, in addition to three other prizewinning novels, one foot in eden, saints at the river, and the world made straight. I admit that i like reading traditional romance but serena pemberton, the main female character in serena, written by ron rash, is a tough, hardhearted and ruthless woman far removed.