A darkly humorous journey through small-town America and the soul of a cowboy poet.On May 1, 1982, Martin Oliphant witnesses a horse drown in Lake Michigan, the first in a series of equine deaths that mark his escape from Pierre, Michigan. He finds solace in the cowboy poets of Elko, Nevada, but life keeps pulling him back.
Through a dying mother convinced she has tennis elbow, a stroke-addled father, and a cast of eccentric characters, Martin navigates family duty and artistic yearning. Can he break free from his Midwestern confines and embrace his true calling, or will the ghosts of his past forever tether him to Pierre? A tale of small-town secrets, big dreams, and the enduring power of poetry. For readers who enjoy character-driven stories with a touch of wry humor and a whole lot of heart. Keywords: literary fiction, cowboy poetry, small town, Midwest.
"This brilliant debut is a perfect balance of smart satire, plaintive poetry, dreadful loss, and humorous escapism that will whiplash you all the way to its unexpected and delightful conclusion.Four Dead Horsesis already one of my favorite books of 2021." —J. Ryan Stradal, Author ofKitchens of the Great MidwestandThe Lager Queen of Minnesota
"Sparks writes with ecstatic generosity of spirit, wicked humor, and doesn’t flinch as she stares down the sometimes-tragedy of everyday American living. Martin Oliphant is a loveable schlub who wants to make his life a little grander and more poetic, like the cowboy poetry he so adores, and I was rooting for him the whole way. How rare to find a book so savagely smart while also so full of compassion for its aspiring hero.Four Dead Horsesis a triumph and a delight . . . and as the granddaughter of cowpokes I love it a little extra too…" —CJ Hauser, Author ofFamily of Origin
"If John Irving had chronicled the upper Midwest, he might have wl3-
![Four Dead Horses [Paperback]](/itemImage/2/9/6/4/2_4474567.jpg "Four Dead Horses [Paperback]")