{"product_id":"9781617751561","title":"As Flies to Whatless Boys","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eAs Flies to Whatless Boys\u003c\/i\u003e has been longlisted for the \u003cb\u003e2015 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award\u003c\/b\u003e !\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eWinner of the 2014 OCM Bocas Prize!\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIncluded in \u003ci\u003e \u003cb\u003eWorld Literature Today\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e 's Nota Benes, Summer 2014\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOne of Edwidge Danticat's Best Books of 2013, the \u003ci\u003e \u003cb\u003eNew Yorker\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA Favorite Novel of 2013, \u003ci\u003e \u003cb\u003eTin House\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"William's account of young love attests to Antoni's fluency in the poetry of nostalgia. In words as vibrant as the personalities he creates, Antoni deftly captures unconquered territories and the risks we’re willing to take exploring them.\"\u003cbr\u003e— \u003ci\u003e \u003cb\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"The emotional influence of Willy’s narrative—his loving descriptions of the people who surround him—is profoundly effective...Strikes strong emotional chords.\"\u003cbr\u003e— \u003ci\u003e \u003cb\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Antoni...has written a novel epic in scope that...is driven by outbursts of fine writing.\"\u003cbr\u003e— \u003ci\u003e \u003cb\u003eBooklist\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"A rollicking 19th-century colonial tale blends history with imagination.\"\u003cbr\u003e— \u003ci\u003e \u003cb\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Robert Antoni gracefully combines layers of idealism, love, and a plague of the Black Vomit in this historical novel.\"\u003cbr\u003e— \u003ci\u003e \u003cb\u003eWorld Literature Today\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"It brings the travails and small delights of Willy Tucker to the centre stage of our imaginings, asking only that we accompany him on this unforgettable voyage.\"\u003cbr\u003e— \u003ci\u003e \u003cb\u003eCaribbean Beat\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"This tragic historical novel, accented with West Indian cadence and captivating humour, provides an unforgettable glimpse into 19th-century T\u0026amp;T. The book’s narrator, Willy, falls headover-heels for the enthralling and wise Marguerite Whitechurch. Coming from the gentry, Marguerite is a world away from Willy's labouring class.\"\u003cbr\u003e— \u003ci\u003e \u003cb\u003eThe Trinidad Guardian\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e , one of the Best Caribbean Books of the Year\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Reminds us that storytelling is fundamental to the human condition...A contending classic of postcolonial literature.\"\u003cbr\u003e— \u003ci\u003e \u003cb\u003eTrinidad Guardian\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e , Review\/2014 OCM Bocas Prize Feature\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Reminds us that storytelling is fundamental to the human condition...A contending classic of postcolonial literature.\"\u003cbr\u003e— \u003ci\u003e \u003cb\u003eTrinidad Guardian\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e , 2014 OCM Bocas Prize Feature\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"I have been hooked on Robert Antoni since his first novel, \u003ci\u003eDivina Trace\u003c\/i\u003e . His new one, \u003ci\u003eAs Flies to Whatless Boys\u003c\/i\u003e , is a marvel of narrative and documents, which collide to create a book that is at times breathtaking and tragic and at other times laugh-out-loud hilarious.\"\u003cbr\u003e— \u003cb\u003eEdwidge Danticat\u003c\/b\u003e, who selected \u003ci\u003eAs Flies to Whatless Boys\u003c\/i\u003e as a Best Book of 2013 for the \u003cb\u003e \u003ci\u003eNew Yorker\u003c\/i\u003e ‘s Page-Turner Blog\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"A bittersweet coming-of-age tale of tragedy, chicanery, high ideals, harsh realities, and the hard choice between love and family duty, \u003ci\u003eAs Flies to Whatless Boys\u003c\/i\u003e is highly recommended.\"\u003cbr\u003e— \u003ci\u003e \u003cb\u003eMidwest Book Review\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\" \u003ci\u003eAs Flies to Whatless Boys\u003c\/i\u003e is a kind of complex word game, a historical narrative in a lilting Caribbean accent, wrapped around with an oddball love story in a wild form of English that seems to create itself as it goes along. In between, snippets of contemporary records provide foils for both these linguistic inventions.\"\u003cbr\u003e— \u003ci\u003e \u003cb\u003eHistorical Novel Society\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn 1845 London, an engineer, philosopher, philanthropist, and bold-faced charlatan, John Adolphus Etzler, has invented machines that he thinks will transform the division of labor and free all men. He forms a collective called the Tropical Emigration Society (TES), and recruits a variety of London citizens to take his machines and his misguided ideas to form a proto-socialist, utopian community in the British colony of Trinidad.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAmong his recruits is a young boy (and the book's narrator) named Willy, who falls head-over-heels for the enthralling and wise Marguerite Whitechurch. Coming from the gentry, Marguerite is a world away from Willy's laboring class. As the voyage continues, and their love for one another strengthens, Willy and Marguerite prove themselves to be true socialists, their actions and adventures standing in stark contrast to Etzler's disconnected theories.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRobert Antoni's tragic historical novel, accented with West Indian cadence and captivating humor, provides an unforgettable glimpse into nineteenth-century Trinidad \u0026amp; Tobago.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Akashic Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47051987878128,"sku":"9781617751561","price":15.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781617751561_p0.jpg?v=1769904891","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781617751561","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}