The Absence of Angels

by W.S. Penn

The narrator-protagonist of this magical novel about urban mixed-blood Indian life is Albert (Alley) Hummingbird, a self-conscious, shy college student who masks his feelings with humor and who longs to reconcile the two cultures that have formed him. Alley is not supposed to live at birth, but his grandfather, a Nez Perce, rescues him from Death (who reappears throughout the novel as a petty, mean, pathetic, and ultimately funny character). The grandfather’s teachings to Alley, which come from the afterlife region known as the "absence of angels," connect Alley to his Indian heritage when he needs it. Otherwise his life is fragmented: a father who rejected his heritage, a mother who is slightly mad, and a friend, Sara, with whom Alley is in love.

268 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1994

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

William S. Penn, born 1949

Reviews

[Nancy Schwarzkopf]

One of the goofiest and most boring books I have ever suffered through! I won't spend my time discussing/describing it.