"McFadden's reissued second novel takes an unflinching look at the corrosive nature of alcoholism ... This is not a story of easy redemption ... McFadden writes candidly about the treacherous hold of addiction." -Publishers Weekly "Riveting... . So nicely avoids the sentimentality that swirls around the subject matter. I am as impressed by its structural strength as by the searing and expertly imagined scenes." -Toni Morrison, author of Beloved "The...

The story revolves around a dying father and his son. Edward Bloom has always been a man of big appetites. In his later years, he remains a mystery to his son, William, who begins piecing together a true picture of his father from flashbacks of his amazing tales.