Littlejohn

Littlejohn #1

by Howard Owen

Now available in paperback, comes a successful and beautifully-written novel about a decent North Carolina farmer haunted by errors and redeemed by faith. Painstakingly honest, Littlejohn is "a character as fully rounded in his quirks and imperfections, in his quiet determination and bravery, as any in recent fiction."--Washington Post. National reading tour.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

244 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1992

About the author

Howard Owen was born March 1, 1949, in Fayetteville, N.C. He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1971, journalism) and has a master's degree from Virginia Commonwealth University (1981, English).
He and his wife since 1973, Karen Van Neste Owen (the former publisher of Van Neste Books), live in Richmond, Va. He was a newspaper reporter and editor for 44 years.
Owen won The Dashiell Hammett Prize for crime literature in the United States and Canada for Oregon Hill, his 10th novel.
His first novel, "Littlejohn," was written in 1989, when he was 40. It was bought by The Permanent Press and published in 1992. Random House bought it from The Permanent Press and reissued it as a Villard hardcover in 1993 and a Vintage Contemporary paperback in 1994. It was nominated for the Abbey Award (American Booksellers) and Discovery (Barnes & Noble) award for best new fiction. It has sold, in all, more than 50,000 copies. It has been printed in Japanese, French and Korean; it has been a Doubleday Book Club selection; audio and large-print editions have been issued, and movie option rights have been sold.
His second novel, "Fat Lightning," came out as a Permanent Press book in 1994. It was bought by HarperCollins and was reissued as a Harper Perennial paperback in 1996. It received a starred review from Publishers' Weekly.
His third novel, "Answers to Lucky," was published by HarperCollins as a hardcover in 1996 and as a paperback in 1997. It received favorable reviews in The New York Times, Southern Living, GW, Publishers' Weekly, the Atlanta Constitution, the Baltimore Sun, the Memphis Commercial Appeal and numerous other publications. It was included in "The Best Novels of the Nineties: A Reader’s Guide."
His fourth novel, "The Measured Man," was published in hardcover by HarperCollins in 1997. It was praised in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Publishers' Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, the Raleigh News & Observer, the Orlando Sentinel, the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel and many other publications. It was one of the LA Times Book Reviews’ "Recommended Titles" for 1997. It was included in "The Best Novels of the Nineties: A Reader’s Guide."
Owen's fifth novel, "Harry and Ruth," was published by The Permanent Press in September of 2000 to critical acclaim from Kirkus, Publisher's Weekly and various weekly publications.
His sixth novel, "The Rail," was published in April of 2002. It is about (among other things) baseball and the parable of the talents. Owen won the 2002 Theresa Pollack Award for Words.
His seventh novel, "Turn Signal," was about a man whose muse drives him either to madness or to the best move he's ever made in his life. It came out in 2004 and was a Booksense selection for July of 2004.
His eighth novel, "Rock of Ages," is something of a sequel to his first novel, "Littlejohn." Georgia McCain returns to her hometown years after her father’s death to sell the family farm and finds herself immersed in baby-boomer guilt and a murder mystery. It was a Booksense pick for July of 2006.

His ninth novel, "The Reckoning," about ghosts of the ’60s, came out in late 2010 and received very positive reviews from, among others, Publishers Weekly and the New York Journal of Books.
His short story, "The Thirteenth Floor," part of "Richmond Noir," came out in early 2010.
The protagonist of “The Thirteenth Floor,” Willie Black, also is at the center of Owen’s 10th novel, “Oregon Hill,” which came in July of 2012 to very positive reviews in The New York Times, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus and elsewhere. It's also an audio book.

Willie starred in future Owen novels: The Philadelphia Quarry (2013), Parker Field (2014), The Bottom (2015), Grace (2016) and The Devil's Triangle (2017). His 16th novel, Annie's Bones, comes out in April of 2018.

Reviews

[Cosette]

Interesting. Looking back, all ends are tied up...eery. Twilight zone. Sense of humor, maudlin, & whodunnit. Like an awesome blind date that you burn the contact info afterwards.

[Matthew]

This is one of my favorite novels, spanning three generations of a family and narratated by a least favorite son. A story of simple man living down a mistake he can't undo as well as WWII and other events of the 20th century seen through his eyes. A short but worthwhile read.

[Erin]

Guilt is a heavy burden, and Littlejohn McCain has been carrying his for the better part of 82 years. But despite his load, he’s a relatively simple man with a pure heart and kind soul.

On the day Littlejohn intends to end his life, Howard Owen leads us through the character’s experiences via the perspectives of the Southern gentleman himself; his daughter, Georgia; and his grandson, Justin. I was really impressed with how distinct each voice was — like each point of view was written by a different person.

Littlejohn’s chapters were written simply but beautifully with straight-forward description and definite Southern drawl and phrases. You could tell he really loved his little corner of North Carolina just as much as the people who live there and the history they all shared. You could tell Georgia was a little up tight, an English teacher who strives for perfection but can’t own up to her own flaws quite as easily as Littlejohn does his. And you can tell Justin’s both his mother’s son and his grandfather’s grandson. He has a teen’s attitude and his voice is so vastly different from Littlejohn's and Georgia's.

The story was impressive, and there were quite a few twists that I wasn’t expecting (no spoilers here) amid the colorful writing and sharp observations. Easily one of the best books I’ve read all year.

[abby]

Good story and very well-realized main character/narrator; the author does a wonderful job of helping the reader relate to someone most people normally woudln't.

[Audrey Elledge]

found this little wonder in our hawaii airbnb tucked between the john grishams and james pattersons and boy am I glad I took the chance on making this my beach read. wonderful storytelling, acute sense of voice and setting, and an 82-year-old protagonist that will make you weep all over your sunglasses and bikini when you’re done

only reason it’s not 5 stars is because the portrayal of women leaves something to be desired and there’s no way this passes the bechdel test :( ya can’t win ‘em all!

[Banbury]

A sweet book that is not cloying. The characters (mostly of Littlejohn) are well drawn, and there is a convincing sense of a place and time, and of how such place and time have irrevocably changed. The respect the different characters have for the privacy and dignity of other people, as well as a reticence to inflict one's own problems and secrets on others is refreshing.

[William Barnett]

This novel is beautiful. I was worried it may be shallow, but that was not the case. It is haunting, emotional, and utterly human. Justin, Georgia, and LittleJohn narrate. This book shows how the world drastically changes through generations. It’s thoughtful and warm. Definitely gets a chefs kiss.

[Dwight Zavitz]

Amazing book! Read it!!

This wonderful book rivals Faulkner's best work. A masterpiece that catches life in rural North Carolina, our national sins of racism and oppression, and the way to redemption and hope in life and death. An awesome achievement that stirs the soul!

[Jessica Clarke]

Touching, real, an unexpected pleasure from a local author.

[Sheryl Melvin]

I enjoyed this book and the contrasting generations of the same family, mostly set in the rural South.

[Kay]

This is a wonderful story

[Carol Stanley-Snow]

A remarkable read. A life of good man. A good read.

[Anesa]

This was the first novel by RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH sports editor Howard Owen. I read it in 1994 shortly after hearing a review/interview on NPR and, believe me, I'll be watching for his second. I enjoyed this novel more than any other I'd read over the winter. Jaak and I read it out loud to each other, which no doubt helped me appreciate the narrative style: informal, conversational, perfectly suited to each of the 3 speakers' stations in life. We get 1st person from 3 perspectives: an aging father, his daughter, and his grandson. I found not one word out of place, each voice clear and unique.

All of this skill is needed to balance a weighty tale involving deep secrets of guilt and retribution revealed through almost melodramatic action, spliced together by (kinda improbable) coincidences. Focal point is the meaning of a long and often anguished life, the beauty of a man ready to--literally--meet his maker after best efforts to atone for the consequences of youthful carelessness.

Did southern gothic drama undercut the suspension of my disbelief? Once or twice. But the ending was very moving and I enjoyed a number of unexpectedly good laughs.

[Ann]

Being new to this area of the country, the book gave me an insiders view of life past and present in rural NC. It reminded me of Towanda in rural Pennsylvania. I think that there are many places like these and the characters only speak with a different accent. It makes you wonder about your own family history.

[Lynette]

This was a quiet book with a strong literary appeal. The main character, Littlejohn, fonds himself looking back on his life and evaluating it. An incident from his childhood haunts him and casts a shadow over the rest of his existence. I read the book quickly and would not mind re-reading it and then discussing it.

[Dave Allerton]

Book was a facinating character study of 3 generations with completely different value systems from completely differnt eras. Wonderful, toucy, interesting surprise twist at the end, and beautiful to the last page.

Great job, Howard Owen!

[Carol]

Loved this book. Written first person by the three main characters. I couldn't put it down once I started it. Takes place in NC. The old man is a wonderful character that you will love. The other two are his daughter and grandson. Definitely recommend this book.

[Darlene]

An 82-year-old North Carolina farmer and WWII veteran, his 40-year-old divorced daughter and college English professor, and her pot-smoking runaway teenaged son provide ample points of view and contrasts within a family marked by a split second of carelessness.

[Jen H]

I liked the character so much that I almost felt he was real. Cheesy, I know. I think I might've fallen in love with the book because Littlejohn reminded me of my Papa.

[Permanent Press]

"This warm and generous novel is a heartfelt celebration of the endurance of the human spirit" -

[Angie]

What an amazing book! The plot twists were totally unpredictable.

[Patrick]

The story doesn't really go anywhere but the characters are interesting.

[Jenene]

Awesome!

[Patricia]

Just could not get into it... Gave it many tries and left me feeling bored... Did not finish it.

[Kim Whitley-Gaynor]

I read this book years ago, and I don't really remember the story, but I remember finishing it and thinking "wow!"

[Mary]

This was a strange and interesting story. It takes a bit to get into it but well worth the trying.

I cried at the end.....so close to what I've experienced with loved ones.

[Jenni Moody]

Wonderful imagery - the small town feels alive, and so like the South I know.

[Juli]

4.5

[Cindy Van]

I love this book. I keep coming back to it and re-reading it.

[Sally Monaghan]

Really enjoyed. Great characters and great sense of time and place.