kansas city star – The Works of Stewart O'Nan

Two more Best of 2015 lists for West of Sunset!

“West of Sunset,” by Stewart O’Nan (Viking). This novel follows F. Scott Fitzgerald during his years as a struggling screenwriter. Its Golden Age Hollywood feels lived-in and real and makes for a welcoming read.

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The Pioneer Press (Minnesota):

“West of Sunset” by Stewart O’Nan (Viking): Our appetite for all things Scott Fitzgerald doesn’t abate, and this novel offers a fresh look at the last three years of the St. Paul-born writer’s life, which O’Nan says are often overlooked by biographers. Fitz- gerald was living in Hollywood and in love with columnist Sheilah Graham, but he still visited his wife, Zelda, who was in a mental institution. He was sober and working on his novel “The Last Tycoon,” unfinished when he died in 1940.

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Emily, Alone was also named as one of the Star’s Top 100 Books of 2011:

In a sequel to “Wish You Were Here” (2003), O’Nan wonderfully captures hope and sadness as the aged Emily searches for meaning after her husband passes away.

[the full list]

And in case you missed it, NPR Books is featuring an essay by Stewart:

Ode To The Dead: In Remembrance Of Characters Past

I first heard of Christie Hodgen way back in 2001, when I was a judge for the National Endowment for the Arts. Her story of a younger sister dealing with a troubled, possibly mentally ill brother flat knocked me out. The other judges on the panel agreed — here was a powerhouse writer. I felt privileged to read her work before the rest of the world, so why did it take me so long to discover her second novel, Elegies for the Brokenhearted, which came out last summer?

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