The Acorn Plan: A Novel

by Tim McLaurin

"Tim McLaurin gives us the raw world of a Southern mill town, and a young man's passage through its pity and terror to manhood. His is an extraordinary talent." ―James Dickey Open The Acorn Plan and listen to its sad, comic chorus of Southern voices, and to the story of Billy Riley, a brooding, reckless young man struggling to resolve the competing claims of love, loyalty, and ambition.

Genres: Fiction

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

Reviews

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the book handed to me when I interviewed for a job at a bookstore in DC. The manager said my reaction to the book would decide whether I got the job. He was weird, but I got the job and loved the book.

[Hannable Mcgarity · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my all time favorite novels, I sometimes drive through parts of Cumberland County and wonder if Billy Riley ever truly shook the sand from his shoes and got the Cape Fear water out of his blood.

[Jonas Paro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ännu en berättelse, från det pålitliga gänget på Tristero Förlag, om några människors öden i en liten håla i den amerikanska södern. Alkohol, slagsmål och drömmar om en bättre framtid. Har man läst ett gäng böcker i genren är det kanske inte helt originellt, men det är en stark liten historia.

[Timothy Reinhardt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book with gritty characters and an engaging plot. I highly recommend.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a long time to finally actually read this book, it’s not what I typically read but once I started I really enjoy it. I wish there had been a sequel because I would have liked to know how Billy Riley’s life turned out.

[Stan Lake · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my second time through “The Acorn Plan” by Tim McLaurin. He reminds me each time I read his work how much of a loss the world suffered with his passing. I had forgotten how brutal and gritty this book was. The first paragraph may be one of the best openings in Southern fiction. This book showcases “normal” lower middle class folks from the eastern piedmont of North Carolina. It follows Billy Riley, a young man with the reputation for being the town bad ass. It’s about the often hopelessness of life in a small southern town, expectations, and daring to dream. As I work through McLaurin’s catalogue again I may have to write a formal article about just why I keep coming back to these books and why I have an entire bookshelf devoted to this late author. If you’re a fan of gritty, hyper local southern fiction, read it.

[Mark Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a native of Cumberland County, NC, this book so accurately describes that sandy place in the world that others need not try.