Moving from the 1950s to the 1980s, Early Warning by Jane Smiley is epic storytelling at its most wise and compelling from a writer at the height of her powers.

In sickness and health, through their best and darkest times, the Langdon family will live and love and suffer against the broad, merciless sweep of American history. The dark shadow of the Vietnam War hangs over every one. Early Warning Jane Smiley Thorndike Press, 2015 - Domestic fiction - 811 pages 13 Reviews Reviews arent verified, but Google checks for and removes fake content when its identified 'In 1953.

And though a few members of the family remain mired in the past, others will attempt to move beyond the lives they have always known and some will push forward as never before. In Iowa where the Langdons began, Joe sees that some aspects of life on the farm never change, while others are unrecognizable. Books by Jane Smiley Early Warning 9781447275640 Mantle V9781447275640. Claire, too, finds that marriage is not quite what she expected it to be. Lillian must watch as her brilliant, eccentric husband Arthur is destroyed by the guilt arising from his secretive government work. For now Walter and Rosanna's sons and daughters are grown up and have children of their own.įrank, the eldest - restless, unhappy - ignores his troubled wife and instead finds himself distracted by a face from the past. When a funeral brings the Langdon family together once more, they little realize how much, over the coming years, each of their worlds will shift and change. Capturing a transformative period through characters we come to know and love, this second volume in Jane Smiley's epic trilogy brings to life the challenges-and rewards-of family and home, even in the most turbulent of times.The second novel in the dazzling Last Hundred Years trilogy, Early Warning follows the Langdon family from the 50s, through to the 1980s, in this stunning family saga from the winner of the Pulitzer Prizeġ953. The others scatter to Washington, DC, California, and everywhere in between.Īs the country moves into the Cold War, through the social revolutions of the '60s and '70s, and into the unprecedented wealth-for some-of the early '80s, the Langdon children have children of their own: twin boys who are best friends and vicious rivals a girl whose rebellious spirit takes her to the notorious Peoples Temple in San Francisco and a golden boy who drops out of college to fight in Vietnam-leaving behind a secret legacy. Jane Smiley, in full Jane Graves Smiley, (born September 26, 1949, Los Angeles, California, U.S.), American novelist known for her lyrical works that centre on families in pastoral settings. But of their five children, only one will remain to work the land. Walter, their stalwart patriarch, has died unexpectedly, and his wife must try to keep their farm going.

It's 1953, and the Langdons are at a crossroads. One of the Best Books of the Year: San Francisco Chronicle

Early warning jane smiley