"When Purvis Driggers, a South Carolina Low Country loser with
little judgment and even less chance for a decent life beyond his
parents' house, home town, and whatever part-time work he can
scrounge up, seeks to rob an old man of the rumored millions hidden
in his house and fails, he's drawn to the sound of music across the
creek. There, he discovers a beautiful woman in a white gown being
baptized in the water. Surely Martha, beautiful Martha, will give
Purvis the escape he imagines. With the Martha boat come to his
rescue, Purvis decides, he'll never have to worry about drowning.
But Martha Umphlett is trapped, too. Made to take care of her obese
mother and forced to participate in a baptism she has no interest
in whatsoever, Martha, in her own way, is every bit as desperate as
Purvis, but far more capable and a good deal more dangerous. As
funny as it is sad, as beautiful as it is ugly, as authentic as it
is shocking, and as powerful as anything you'll ever read, Ron
Cooper's Purple Jesus is a mystery, a love story, a religious
allegory, and, most importantly, a dark and comic descent into the
lives and world views of these unbelievable and unforgettable
characters. Purvis Driggers is a South Carolina Low Country loser.
With little judgment and even less chance for a decent life beyond
his parents' house, home town, and whatever part-time work he can
scrounge up, he's sure he's figured a way out: Rob an old man of
the rumored millions hidden in his house. But all he finds is the
old man dead and the money, if there was any, already gone.
Disappointed and defeated, Purvis is drawn to the sound of music
across the creek. There, he discovers a beautiful woman in a white
gown being baptized in the water. Surely Martha, beautiful Martha,
will give Purvis the escape he imagines. With the Martha boat come
to his rescue, Purvis decides, he'll never have to worry about
drowning. But Martha Umphlett is trapped, too. Married and just as
quickly divorced, Martha's been condemned to return to the home
she'd once escaped. Made to take care of her obese mother and
forced to participate in a baptism she has no interest in
whatsoever, Martha, in her own way, is every bit as desperate as
Purvis, but far more capable and a good deal more dangerous. Their
paths cross with that of Brother Andrew, a monk at a nearby
monastery whose call more and more is not to God, but to nature,
and more importantly, to somewhere else. He wanders the swamp to
watch birds, practice archery, and meditate, but it becomes clearer
and clearer to him that the answers he seeks are not to be found in
his monastery, his vow of silence, or the life he's thus far known.
But maybe the answer is in the girl he, too, sees being baptized
across the creek. Perhaps Martha will make Andrew happy. All three
want and need something different in their lives, but the paths
they'll take are neither clear nor pretty, and they will not end
well. Infatuated with Martha, and certain she's the answer to his
dreams, Purvis sets out to do whatever is necessary to prove his
love, all the while terrified that the FBI will pin the old man's
murder on him. Is he demented, or just crazy with love? Does Martha
care for Purvis, or will she simply exploit him? Is Brother Andrew
straying too far toward both of them and too far away from his
faith? And just what is necessary for Purvis to prove himself to
Martha? Told from the characters' alternating points of view, this
darkly humorous story wends its way through a web of murder and
dismemberment, a twisted love triangle, and a woodland monster
known as the Hairy Man. As funny as it is sad, as beautiful as it
is ugly, as authentic as it is shocking, and as powerful as..."
General
Imprint: |
Bancroft Press
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Release date: |
October 2010 |
First published: |
February 2012 |
Authors: |
Ron. Cooper
|
Dimensions: |
235 x 160 x 17mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Hardcover - Cloth over boards
|
Pages: |
224 |
ISBN-13: |
978-1-890862-70-1 |
Categories: |
Books >
Fiction >
General & literary fiction >
Modern fiction
|
LSN: |
1-890862-70-3 |
Barcode: |
9781890862701 |
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