Description
Book SynopsisAn old shoe factory in a costal New England town is up for sale again. When a private equity mogul with a fondness for the factory’s shoes buys it, he sets in motion a story with profound implications for the way we live today. The people of Bealport depend on Norumbega. Their livelihoods, their self-respect and their interconnectedness are all at stake. The shadow of the factory’s fate looms over the people of the town. Idiosyncratic and humane, the cast is the kind that small communities under threat produce. Bealport is a portrait of a place, at once sympathetic, mordant, unsparing, comic, tragic and universal, and of a way of life that is passing. It is a novel of a town, and to no small degree of every town in America and beyond.
Trade ReviewComprising short vignettes, the book aims to capture to character and consciousness of Bealport itself, flitting between individual lives, mock sociological overviews and the commentary of a Greek chorus of characters who meet at McDonald’s for their pre-shift breakfast. . . The portraits of the townspeople are endearing, drawn in well-chosen, economical details . . . The story is tightly and neatly constructed, and the hermetic nature of Bealport––where people live for the demolition derby, snowmobiling playoffs, the annual seaside picnic and the dignity of a day’s work––is deeply appealing, drenched in sympathetic nostalgia, folksy charm and pithy one-liners. Times Literary Supplement; “[Jeffrey Lewis's] prose is fluent and beautiful, with a light, witty touch and he can evoke a character in just few lines. . .a hugely satisfying read.” Times Literary Supplement; "Lewis has created a rich tapestry of life. In lean, poetically precise prose he lays bare the realities of a town in decline and reveals the fears, secrets and aspirations that animate ordinary lives. This highly accomplished short novel is a moving and humane portrait of small town contemporary America, a vision of Trump’s Republic in miniature.” Daily Mail on Sunday; Jeffrey Lewis... proves that you can wrest compelling, strange, funny, and surprising character-driven fiction out of town-crushing industrial demise. He is, without question, the most recent writer to do it well. New York Journal of Books; "Bealport is a tight, successful novel; Lewis is a master of literary economy. This is as good a book about a small town as you are likely to read. Bealport provides proof, if any were needed, that small towns can experience big heartaches.” Yale Alumni Magazine; "A fascinating story about a small town facing economic ruin and an uncertain future. . . . Lewis's fiction is just as sharp, edgy and fast-moving as a cop drama. Bealport is tragic and funny, poignant and inspiring, as resilient, hardworking people demonstrate pride and hope in the face of economic disaster." Centralmaine.com; `Though Lewis’s tone is measured, plenty of righteous anger lies just below the surface. It’s the little details that make this novel sing, however – and it’s what makes its conclusion that much more crushing, however inevitable.’Tobias Carroll, Portland Press Herald.
