Kevin McIlvoy's Hyssop is a remarkable novel filled with kindness, truth, and magic--a story that celebrates friendship and love while exploring the complexities of a simple faith that enriches materially impoverished lives. It is a gorgeous patchwork of memory lovingly sewn together by Red Greetaltruistic petty thief and guileless grifter-who has spent many days of his eighty-seven years behind bars in Las Almas, New Mexico. Twice married-the second time, while in jail, to his lifelong love Recita Holguin-Red has sampled pleasures available only to those capable of embracing life and its temptations without shame or fear. But his sins have been as memorable as his adventures-transgressions he shares freely with Bishop Francisco Velasco, Red's lifelong best friend and confessor, and his one-time rival for the affections of his first wife, Cecilia. In telling how he has loved and been loved, in confessing how he has sinned and inspired others to sin, Red Greet seeks hyssop, the substance that might wash his soul clean.

Hyssop

Literature & Fiction

Kevin McIlvoy

Literary

Harper-perennial

Samantha Peabody, a seasoned bio-acoustician and eccentric recluse living in North Carolina's Pisgah National Forest, recalls in this journal-like novel her year with two children who accompanied her in a "Sonic Adventure Program," deep in the woods. Spending time with the girls, eight-year-old Betty and six-year-old Janet, Sam must confront her conscience in light of an ever-widening communion with the forest around them. 
 This is the tale of an aging adult and two troubled children and their shared journey to compassion. In its uncanny texture and structure, the novel contemplates the transformations possible for those who listen to -- and truly hear -- the sounds of wilderness, where one's true nature sings.

At the Gate of All Wonder

Tupelo Press

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Books by Kevin McIlvoy

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Kevin McIlvoy. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Hyssop

At the Gate of All Wonder