Lamb
Subtitle
A Novel
"Lamb" traces the self-discovery of David Lamb, a narcissistic middle-aged man with a tendency toward dishonesty, in the weeks following the disintegration of his marriage and the death of his father. Hoping to regain some faith in his own goodness, he turns his attention to Tommie, an awkward and unpopular 11-year-old girl. Lamb is convinced that he can help her avoid a destiny of apathy and emptiness, and even comes to believe that his devotion to Tommie is in her best interest. But when Lamb decides to abduct a willing Tommie for a road trip from Chicago to the Rockies, planning to initiate her into the beauty of the mountain wilderness, they are both shaken in ways neither of them expects.
"Lamb" is a masterful exploration of the dynamics of love and dependency that challenges the boundaries between adolescence and adulthood, confronts preconceived notions about conventional morality and exposes humankind’s eroded relationship with nature.
Bio
Bonnie Nadzam earned a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from Arizona State University in 2004.
Praise for this book
Only an immensely promising young writer could bestow such grace on such troubled characters.
Boston Globe
Lolita gets a 21st-century spin in this gripping debut… Nadzam has a crisp, fluid writing style, and her dialogue is reminiscent of Sam Shepard’s…It’s a fine first effort: storytelling as accomplished as it is unsettling.
Publishers Weekly