A Million Heavens

by John Brandon

In a hospital in a small New Mexico town, a father sits by the bed of his young son, who is in a coma. Outside, a group of locals gather to hold vigil for the boy, each drawn by their own reasons.

Every member of the group has their own story. There's Dannie, a 33-year-old woman, desperate for children, and fighting to salvage her relationship with her 20-year-old boyfriend. Then there's Cecelia - a musician who is grieving for a man who never knew he was the love of her life. And then there's Mayor Carbrera - half-heartedly trying to keep the town afloat, and holding out hope that a religious cult will move in and become the answer to all his problems.

Hugely acclaimed when published in the US, A Million Heavens is an extraordinary novel by one of the most promising young American authors.

• ISBN10: 1405519479
• ISBN13: 9781405519472
• Publish Date: 21 March 2013 (first published 1 January 1960)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
• Imprint: Abacus
• Edition: Digital original
• Format: eBook (EPUB)
• Pages: 320
• Language: English

Reviews

[lovelybookshelf]

Originally posted on my blog, A Lovely Bookshelf on the Wall:

It took me a while to get into A Million Heavens. It constantly shifts perspectives, always remaining in the third person. Some characters are never referred to directly by name, even after we learn their names. The narrative will simply read, "the gas station owner" or "the music teacher" over and over. Once I got to know the characters and could keep them straight, I settled into the style and hardly wanted to put the book down.

The book itself is beautifully made. A glorious cover with shiny silver and gold against a grey and black background. The pages are nice and heavy; sometimes I thought I was turning two pages at once. This book felt good in my hands. This coming from someone who prefers e-books!

There's a surrealism in A Million Heavens that is conveyed through its more tangible situations. I couldn't determine where things were headed, but toward the end I started to make vague connections, though they were difficult to hold on to. As things became more and more clear, I still wasn't sure how it would finish up. I appreciate a story that keeps me wondering like that.

I liked seeing each character's own personal journey unfold. This is a book I could see myself reading again and again, just to discover what new perceptions and details I'd find.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher after winning a giveaway on the BookSnob blog. There was no obligation to read or review the book; this is my honest review. I did not receive any other compensation for this review.