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When the son of the Carusos is involved in a hold up, the family home comes under siege in the form of a no-knock warrant. Months after the cops destroyed their home, the Carusos struggle to return to normal. Elsewhere, two former inmates reunite by chance on the set of a TV production. Both have found their way on the straight and narrow path, that is, until one sees the potential for an easy grift. A teenage boy must step into the man he'd like to be as a hostage crisis grips his hometown. A woman adrift meets a man tied to her grandmother's past, an encounter that awakens her to a bloody history that undergirds the place she grew up.
Pelecanos' portraits are characterized by shades of grey, resisting the mold of heroes and villains, victims and perpetrators, good and evil. At once streetwise and full of heart, Owning Up grapples with random chance, the bind of consequence, and the forked paths a life can take.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
February 6, 2024 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9781668635674
- File size: 162665 KB
- Duration: 05:38:53
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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Dion Graham skillfully breathes life into the diverse characters in Pelecanos's four novellas, vividly portraying the communities that constitute Washington, DC, beyond its political facade. Across different timeframes, these stories unveil ordinary individuals who are grappling with personal challenges and having to own up to them and take responsibility. Golden Voice Graham seamlessly navigates a spectrum of ethnicities, genders, and ages, with a particularly compelling performance of an elderly man who recounts his experiences in the 1919 riots. While there are crimes in each novella, the focus is much more on the characters themselves and how they are impacted by their own choices. These well-crafted works, eloquently delivered, provide glimpses of the complex lives within the capital's rich tapestry. E.Q. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine -
Starred review from January 1, 2024
Pelecanos' latest comprises four novellas featuring characters struggling with life. In ""The Amusement Machine,"" Ira can't resist a life of crime, even though he dreams of becoming an actor. ""The No-Knock"" sees writer Joseph Caruso's life destroyed when his son is accused of a crime. The cops carry out a no-knock at the Caruso home to retrieve evidence. A brutal but legal action, it nonetheless devastates the entire Caruso family. In ""Knickerbocker,"" Leah is a young wannabe author, but despite years researching her topic, her writing stalls. When she finally completes the book, it's rejected by multiple publishers, and she gives up. In ""Owning Up,"" Nikos, the son of Greek immigrants, has no ambitions, but when his girlfriend's father is caught up in a violent hostage situation and, in a separate incident, Nikos is nearly arrested for a gun crime, he finally finds his path in life. Each of the stories refers to historic social issues, poverty, hate crimes, and bigotry and examines the impact these issues have on individuals and society. Dark, gritty, violent, and filled with sadness and regrets, the stories are not light reading, but they are eye-opening and gripping and will leave a lasting impression.COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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