The Loneliest Road in America: Stories

by Roy Parvin

A thoroughly fresh voice and a rarely observed rural world come together in this extraordinary debut collection. The stories revolve around a small town in the mountains of Northern California and the people who live there - or flee. The characters exist on the fringes of mainstream a solitary marijuana grower who must deal with an intruder in his garden, a mystical Native American whose camp is about to be destroyed by loggers, a wanderer who finds a mentor in the wilderness, and other beautiful and haunting men and women.

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories

193 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[Eric Susak]

The first thing that captivated me in this novel is the language. Roy Parvin creates his worlds in such succinct, vivid language that I instantly felt connected with the rural landscapes and the back-roads that the characters walk. His ability to craft scene is reason enough to read The Loneliest Road in America.

The second thing that captivated me is the nuances of the characters relationships with each other and honesty with themselves. Sometimes painful, sometimes beautiful, the rural dwellers at completely true, completely complete.

And all the short stories have conflict that I believed. Annie Wilkes (Misery) would agree that everything was "fair."

I had never heard of Roy Parvin before I picked this up at Bookman's, partly because of the title, partly by chance, but I'm glad I read it.

[Velma]

Even though I don't read a lot of short story collections, I didn't hesitate to pick this up and was glad I did: I'm a sucker for anything set in and written about my preferred corner of the world: extreme Northern California.

I discovered Parvin at a reading at my indie bookseller, Northtown Books in Arcata, CA. His stories have a strong sense-of-place, which appeals to the geographer in me (I studied the subject for my undergrad degree). These are tales, real and imaginary, of the rural people that I come into contact with every day. I look forward to more of Parvin's work.

[Remora]

Parvin's stories of rural Far NorCal ring true and deep: real, not writerly. Sometimes harsh, sometimes heartbreaking, always evocative and powerful, with vivid, flawed, and unforgettable characters. "In the Snow Forest," his second book of three novellas, hits similar marks with equal impact. Hoping for more work from this gifted author.

[Dave Harmon]

calming, deep, meditative stories. The sort of literary ficiton where on the surface nothing happens but the characters, and you, undergo some profound experiences. Theres also lots of extremely vivid landscapes and scenery. The last story, The Ames Coil was IMO the best and what earned the collection the 5th star.

BTW, the loneliest road is america is HWY 50 in Nevada. theres a whole wikipedia article.

[Epona]

beautifully written short stories, brief glimpses into each characters' life. not entirely uplifting.

[Chris Riley]

Roy Parvin knows how to write. His choice of words, his metaphors, and his ability to reel a reader's emotions straight through the pages is incredible.