Idaho

I love Idaho for the sparse beauty of its prose, the unsolvable mystery at its heart, the cleverly constructed non-linear narrative and its preoccupations… which so closely match my own – Paula Hawkins * Guardian *
Writing that has the cool sharpness of lemonade… Unflinching, unfrilly, multi-layered storytelling that is both beautiful and devastating – Rachel Joyce
Hauntingly brilliant, this book will stay with you for days after you’ve put it down * Evening Standard, Books of the Year *
You’re in masterly hands here… will remind many of the great Idaho novel, Marilynne Robinson’s Housekeeping… wrenching and beautiful * New York Times Book Review *
From the first page it is clear that Ruskovich’s poetic, spare writing would be enough to compel on its own, but this extraordinary story of a violent event that decimates a young family in northern Idaho is the true engine here. It’s a puzzle that enthrals from the outset. – Lucy Clark * Guardian *
It’s a set-up that reads straight out of the darkest of psychological thrillers … That an act of such brutality inspires storytelling as beautiful as this is reason enough for this debut novel to stand out from the crowd * Independent *
At first glance this novel looks like a typical example of the ‘post-catastrophe’ genre… In fact, Idaho is deeper and broader – and far more interesting… Ruskovich is not afraid of tackling the messy ambiguity of ‘real’ life, nor the difficulty of truly knowing another person, and she delivers her revelations with assurance and skill – Kate Saunders * The Times *
Ruskovich’s writing is well crafted and poetic, particularly when evoking nature and weather in the backwoods, and the contrast with Jenny’s claustrophobic prison half-life is extremely well done. A sad, involving read. – Fanny Blake * Daily Mail *
Breathtakingly written, haunting and heartbreaking, Idaho lingers long after it’s finished – Louise Rhind-Tutt * iNews *
Devastating… a textured, emotionally intricate story of deliverance… Ruskovich’s writing is a deft razor * O, The Oprah Magazine *

Emily Ruskovich’s critically acclaimed first novel, Idaho, was shortlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize and won the Dublin Literary Award. A winner of a 2015 O. Henry Award and a graduate of the Iowa Writer’s Workshop, her writing has appeared in publications including The Paris Review, The Guardian, Zoetrope, and One Story. She is an Associate Professor at the University of Montana, where she teaches fiction. She grew up in the Idaho panhandle and lives in the mountains of western Montana with her husband and their three small children. Nightjar is her second book.

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