For fans of Philip Roth, John Updike, Richard Ford, John Irving and Empire Falls by Richard Russo (winner of the Pulitzer in 2002) A New York Times bestseller Definite appeal at a time when interest in US politics has never been greater

'Though I've always loved Ethan Canin's work, I still wasn't prepared for America America as rich, ambitious, intelligent, emotionally satisfying and important a work of fiction as we're likely to get this year.' Richard Russo, author of Pulitzer Prize-winning EMPIRE FALLS 'With an unusually magical entwining of character, voice, and story, Ethan Canin has written one brilliant narrative after another He is one of the best writers at work today' Lorrie Moore 'Mesmeric It has the feel of Brideshead Revisited and The Line of Beauty' William Leith, Evening Standard 'Canin paints on a large canvas with an undercurrent of the mythic, the magical, the grandly tragic Engaging and well crafted' Lionel Shriver, Daily Telegraph

Ethan Canin is the author of the novels Blue River, For Kings and Planets, and Carry Me Across the Water, and of the story collections Emperor of the Air and The Palace Thief (of which one story was made into the film The Emperor's Club). A physician, he is on the faculty of the Iowa Writers' Workshop, and lives in Iowa.