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Gun Love

By: Jennifer Clement
Narrated by: Imani Parks
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Publisher's summary

Longlisted for the National Book Award

“Fortified with wit and tenderness...Gun Love potently illuminates a puzzled land.” (O: The Oprah Magazine)

Named one of the 10 Best Fiction Books of the Year by Time

Shortlisted for the Aspen Words Literary Prize

The searing, unforgettable story of a young girl's resilience, by the award-winning author of Prayers for the Stolen.

Pearl's mother took her away from her family just weeks after she was born, and drove off to central Florida determined to begin a new life for herself and her daughter - in the parking lot next to a trailer park. Pearl grew up in the front seat of their '94 Mercury, while her mother lived in the back. Despite their hardships, mother and daughter both adjusted to life, making friends with the residents of the trailers and creating a deep connection to each other. All around them, Florida is populated with gun owners - those hunting alligators for sport, those who want to protect their families, and those who create a sense of danger.

Written in a gorgeous lyric all its own, Gun Love is the story of a tough but optimistic young woman growing up in contemporary America, in the midst of its harrowing love affair with firearms.

©2018 Jennifer Clement (P)2018 Random House Audio
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Critic reviews

"Pearl's story takes place in a world both strange and familiar, in the fairy tale of her mother's imagination and in an America pockmarked by gun violence and poverty. Readers will root for Pearl to - somehow - reconcile the two visions, even as fate forces her hand. Clement's quiet tragedy is moving, unsettling, and filled with characters who will haunt you long after the story ends." (Kirkus)

"Clement’s affecting and memorable novel is also an incisive social commentary that will give readers much to ponder." (Publishers Weekly)

"Clement’s latest is made memorable by the resilient Pearl, whose worldview is shaped both by the harsh, gun-saturated realities of the trailer park and by her mother’s past with its piano lessons and fine china. This unusual and impressive novel is carried by her tough, lyrical voice." (Library Journal)

What listeners say about Gun Love

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Great character writer

Jennifer Clement knows how to get you attached to a character. She includes the right combination of first person and omniscient narration, giving one the feeling of knowing someone intimately while also being in the background of their life - watching. However, the overall story line leaves the reader wanting more. Especially the ending. I had to rewind it several times to understand why it felt like it just suddenly stopped. But it's worth the listen just to come to know Pearl and her life growing up in her mothers car.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Mediocre

I’m glad it wasn’t longer than what it was. Felt like a padded out short story. Not sure why all the accolades for this book, other than people who have never been poor like to fantasize about what it must be like.

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