Soil

hauntingly evocative - Guardianpart Greek tragedy and part darkly comic Deep South romp. The language which Kornegay uses to describe the mud plains of the Mississippi is wonderfully evocative with a suspense-filled finale which will make your heart pound - Press AssociationUnnerving but touching, dark yet hopeful, gritty but oh, so smooth; Soil is the deeply human story of one man's personal apocalypse. Mississippi independent bookstore owner Jamie Kornegay has penned a debut novel that will establish him as a major force in the pantheon of elite Southern writers. I spent most of the time wondering why he didn't write a book sooner. It's not fair to keep something so wonderful away from readers. Would it be weird if I read it again? - Book RiotPeppered with a great cast of odd and unusual characters, Kornegay delivers a novel above and beyond the Coen Brothers comparisons... Moving and affecting this book will suck you in from the opening pages. It will have you wincing and pleading, hoping and laughing and is a highly accomplished debut from a distinctive new voice in American fiction - Pages and Pages Bookstorea very assured first novel and a pleasure to read. The portraits of the leading characters are entirely convincing and the interactions carry a sense of impending calamity that propels the narrative to the final showdown. Jay in particular is well-drawn: an intelligent, thoughtful man frustrated by the trivial obsessions of modern culture and the failure of his enthusiasms, on the borderline of complete breakdown... Soil is very good stuff, and I look forward to seeing more from Jamie Kornegay before too long - Crimereview.co.ukMarked by wry humour, unforgettable characters, and riveting suspense, Jamie Kornegay's Soil is a spellbinding Greek tragedy played out against the backdrop of the choked river-bottoms, sprawling fields, and dusty roads of the Mississippi Delta. A brilliant, haunting portrait of the havoc one desperate man's decisions and dreams can wreak upon himself and those around him. This remarkable novel springs from rich earth indeed, and the end result is a book that will leave readers reeling. - Skip Horack, author of THE EDEN HUNTER