Each day leading up to the April 16 announcement of the Minnesota Book Awards, and in collaboration with community editors from the award-winning Saint Paul Almanac, we highlight one of the thirty-two finalists. Today we feature 2016 Young People’s Literature finalist:
The Firebug of Balrog County by David Oppegaard
Published by Flux/Llewellyn Worlwide Ltd.
Category Sponsor:The Creative Writing Programs at Hamline
Summary by Ismail Khadar, Community Editor at the Saint Paul Almanac:
In this young adult novel the major theme arising is a cornerstone in any young person’s life: loss. Through elegant word craft and a dark story, we learn of a young high school senior who, in the midst of his grief over the loss of his mother, discovers fire as a means of comfort and escape. It’s a voracious habit that will change his sleepy county.
Author Bio:
David Oppegaard is a native of Minnesota, hailing from Crystal Lake. He has had every imaginable profession you can think of, from a farmhand to a child minder aboard a British cruise line. Oppegaard wrote his first novel at fifteen and holds an M.F.A. in writing from Hamline University and a B.A. in English from Saint Olaf College. Currently working at the University of Minnesota, he also teaches fiction classes at Hamline and The Loft Literary Center.
David Oppegaard is on Twitter
Reviews:
“Oppegaard creates a believable portrayal of the different ways that loss affects a family, with small decisions building into far-reaching consequences. High school senior Mack Druneswald has been drifting since his mother’s death, working at the hardware store in his small town of Hickson and periodically feeding the “firebug” in his heart with non-targeted acts of arson. The narrative moves between Mack’s present life and his retelling of his mother’s five-year struggle with cancer, drawing subtle but strong parallels between Mack’s pyromania and his mother’s disease. While Mack and his family work through their grief, he runs more risks: involving his new girlfriend in his activities, writing anonymous letters to the newspaper claiming responsibility for the fires, and targeting the local curmudgeon’s property. As the cat-and-mouse game between Mack, as arsonist, and the mayor, his grandfather, escalates, so do the tensions between Mack, as family member, and his father and sister. A well-realized setting and Oppegaard’s resistance to tidily resolving the story’s conflicts both contribute to the novel’s solid sense of realism.” — Publisher’s Weekly
“An unusual coming of age, sparking a hot if not quite perfect conflagration” — Kirkus Reviews
“David Oppegaard’s The Firebug of Balrog County kept me up all night. I liked Mack, the firebug, so much, I wanted to save him myself. I wanted to climb in the story and call the cops.” — Geoff Herbach, author of Stupid Fast
Listen:
MPR’s Euan Kerr chats with the author about burning grief in The Firebug of Balrog County.
Watch:
SELCO librarian Amy Nelson reviews The Firebug of Balrog County by David Oppegaard.
The evening features a Preface Reception with complimentary passed wine and cash bar, author meet-and-greet, book sales and signing; the Awards Ceremony with live music, celebrity presenters, artisan cheese plates and breads, complimentary wine and lemonade, with emcee Stephanie Curtis of MPR; and the Epilogue After-Party with complimentary champagne, sumptuous desserts, and additional live music. Tickets now on sale, or click here for more information.
Today’s winner: Alan Davis. (We’ll be in touch via email, and arrange getting the book to you!)
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