The Clarinet Polka

A Novel

Fiction & Literature, Literary
Cover of the book The Clarinet Polka by Keith Maillard, St. Martin's Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Keith Maillard ISBN: 9781466872110
Publisher: St. Martin's Press Publication: May 27, 2014
Imprint: Thomas Dunne Books Language: English
Author: Keith Maillard
ISBN: 9781466872110
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication: May 27, 2014
Imprint: Thomas Dunne Books
Language: English

Author Keith Maillard received critical acclaim with his novel Gloria, which told the story of a young woman on the cusp of womanhood in a town called Raysburg, West Virginia. In this book, The Clarinet Polka, Maillard turns that same eagle-eyed attention to the other side of the tracks of that very same town and creates a stunning portrait of Polish America and of one man's struggle to find meaning in his life and roots.

The year is 1969, and young Jimmy Koprowski returns from his stint in the airforce to Raysburg, his blue-collar Polish American hometown where nothing much happens beyond working at the steel mill, going to Mass, and getting drunk at the local PAC. Jimmy's efforts at rebuilding his life result in sleeping off hangovers in his parents' attic and drifting into a destructive affair with a married woman.

But things change when his younger sister Linda decides to start an all-girl polka band, and Jimmy falls for the band's star clarinetist, Janice, whose young life is haunted by tragic events that happened before she was born. The threads of Jimmy's family life, the legacy of WWII Poland, and the healing power of music, language, and tradition all begin to converge.

At once gritty and compassionate, moving and witty, The Clarinet Polka showcases the emotional and perfectly pitched voice of a lost soul finding his way.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Author Keith Maillard received critical acclaim with his novel Gloria, which told the story of a young woman on the cusp of womanhood in a town called Raysburg, West Virginia. In this book, The Clarinet Polka, Maillard turns that same eagle-eyed attention to the other side of the tracks of that very same town and creates a stunning portrait of Polish America and of one man's struggle to find meaning in his life and roots.

The year is 1969, and young Jimmy Koprowski returns from his stint in the airforce to Raysburg, his blue-collar Polish American hometown where nothing much happens beyond working at the steel mill, going to Mass, and getting drunk at the local PAC. Jimmy's efforts at rebuilding his life result in sleeping off hangovers in his parents' attic and drifting into a destructive affair with a married woman.

But things change when his younger sister Linda decides to start an all-girl polka band, and Jimmy falls for the band's star clarinetist, Janice, whose young life is haunted by tragic events that happened before she was born. The threads of Jimmy's family life, the legacy of WWII Poland, and the healing power of music, language, and tradition all begin to converge.

At once gritty and compassionate, moving and witty, The Clarinet Polka showcases the emotional and perfectly pitched voice of a lost soul finding his way.

More books from St. Martin's Press

Cover of the book Time of Fog and Fire by Keith Maillard
Cover of the book Alphaprints: 123 by Keith Maillard
Cover of the book Dirty-Talking Cowboy by Keith Maillard
Cover of the book The Perfect Date by Keith Maillard
Cover of the book Sleight of Hand by Keith Maillard
Cover of the book The Tulip Virus by Keith Maillard
Cover of the book One Way Out by Keith Maillard
Cover of the book Mobile Influence by Keith Maillard
Cover of the book Dog Training in 3 Easy Steps by Keith Maillard
Cover of the book Citizen Kane by Keith Maillard
Cover of the book Fine, I'll Go Online! by Keith Maillard
Cover of the book A Taste for Nightshade by Keith Maillard
Cover of the book The Evil That Men Do by Keith Maillard
Cover of the book Public Displays of Affection by Keith Maillard
Cover of the book To Free a Dolphin by Keith Maillard
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy