“Mecca” by Susan Straight is a powerful and critically acclaimed novel that explores the interwoven lives of Californians, deeply rooted in the land and grappling with its complex history. More than just a story, it’s an immersive experience of Southern California, from its forgotten corners to its bustling freeways, seen through the eyes of those who call it home. Centered around Johnny Fras, a highway patrolman carrying the weight of his Indigenous and Mexican heritage, the narrative unfolds to reveal a mosaic of characters connected by a single act two decades prior. Straight, a National Book Award finalist, masterfully crafts a literary tapestry examining themes of race, family, and the relentless pursuit of belonging. “Mecca” earned recognition as a *Washington Post* Best Book of the Year and Kirkus Prize finalist, showcasing its profound impact and literary merit. Dive into a compelling narrative that resonates with echoes of Steinbeck and illuminates the struggles and triumphs of a community fighting for survival in a land of both promise and injustice. Discover a modern American epic that will stay with you long after you turn the final page.
Mecca: A Novel
22,69 $
In stock
One of The Washington Post’s Ten Best Books of 2022. Finalist for the 2022 Kirkus Prize and the 2023 Dayton Literary Peace Prize. One of the New York Times’ 10 Best California Books of 2022 and one of NPR’s Best Books of 2022. A New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice.
“A wide and deep view of a dynamic, multiethnic Southern California . . . Susan Straight is an essential voice in American writing and in writing of the West.” The New York Times Book Review
From the National Book Award finalist Susan Straight, Mecca is a stunning epic tracing the intertwined lives of native Californians fighting for life and land
Johnny Fras has California in his blood. A descendant of the states Indigenous people and Mexican settlers, he has Southern Californias forgotten towns and canyons in his soul. He spends his days as a highway patrolman pulling over speeders, ignoring their racist insults, and pushing past the trauma of his rookie year, when he killed a man assaulting a young woman named Bunny, who ran from the scene, leaving Johnny without a witness. But like the Santa Ana winds that every year bring the risk of fire, Johnnys moment of action twenty years ago sparked a slow-burning chain of connections that unites a vibrant, complex cast of characters in ways they never see coming.
In Mecca, the celebrated novelist Susan Straight crafts an unforgettable American epic, examining race, history, family, and destiny through the interlocking stories of a group of native Californians all gasping for air. With sensitivity, furor, and a cinematic scope that captures California in all its injustice, history, and glory, she tells a story of the American West through the eyes of the people who built itand continue to sustain it. As the stakes get higher and the intertwined characters in Mecca slam against barrier after barrier, they find that when push comes to shove, its always better to push back.
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Binding | |
| Condition | |
| ISBN-10 | 0374604517 |
| ISBN-13 | 9780374604516 |
| Language | |
| Pages | 384 |
| Publisher | |
| Year published | |
| Weight | 485 |
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