Of Sea and Cloud

by Jon Keller

Genres: Sea Adventures; Family Life; Literary Fiction

Synopsis

Nicolas Graves raised his sons to be lobstermen. Bill and Joshua (known as Jonah) Graves grew up aboard their father's boat--the Cinderella--learning the rules and rites of the antiquated business they love. But when their father is lost at sea and the price of lobster crashes worldwide, Bill and Jonah must decide how much they are willing to risk for their family legacy. Standing against them is Osmond Raymond--former Calvinist minister, mystic, captain of the Sanctity, and their father's business partner for more than twenty years. Together with his grandson and heir, Julius, Osmond is determined to push the Graves family out of their lobster pound, regardless of the cost or the consequences. Praise for Of Sea and Cloud "A gorgeously written exploration of faith and loyalty, love and dishonesty... I will never forget these characters, these waters, or the harrowing dramas unfolded upon and beneath them." --Anthony Doerr, author of All The Light We Cannot See "Exquisitely well-written, relentlessly compelling, this story of fathers and sons and lovers, of love and greed and betrayal, elevates the desperate lives of lobstermen into Shakespearean tragedy. This novel set its hooks quickly, and held me rapt until the brutal, beautiful, end. Of Sea and Cloud is timeless drama of the highest order, both thrilling and wise, and Jon Keller is an extraordinary new voice in fiction." --Alan Heathcock, award-winning author of Volt "...dark, poetic, and at turns terrifying. Set against the harsh Maine coast, it tells the story of a people inextricably connected to their land, and of what happens when that land is threatened. Ultimately, this is a novel about love in all its forms and failures." --Abi Maxwell, author of Lake People "A bleak and beautiful story of a family of fog-shrouded lobstermen caught in the heavy vice of change, told in a voice that is part Dennis Lehane, part Melville, part Homer, and all Jon Keller. The book's dark mystic, Osmond Randolph, will haunt me for weeks to come." --Christian Kiefer, author of The Infinite Tides " Of Sea and Cloud is a remarkable read, a first novel that captures a blood and breath drama that is both gripping and evocative." --Debra Magpie Earling, author of Perma Red "With measured and powerful prose, Jon Keller writes a timeless story of manhood, loss, and the bonds of family." --Chris Offutt, author of No Heroes: A Memoir of Coming Home "...a bone-chilling story of brotherhood, trust, and betrayal. It belongs in the canon of great American maritime novels alongside Hemingway and Melville." --Tyler McMahon, author of How the Mistakes Were Made and Kilometer 99

Release date: June 1, 2014

Publisher: Gallery Books

Print pages: 320