A review of Raking the Dust for which I was most appreciative.

“Gritty and serene, twisted and sweet, bizarre and weirdly relatable… this novel is magical surrealism and simple authenticity woven together in an improbably captivating tale. I was reminded of Murakami and Don DeLillo, with a little J.D. Salinger and Bukowski– the simplicity is deceptive and the author draws you in to an odd tale that becomes irresistibly mysterious and compelling before you even realize it.”

“I found the stylistic choices a little challenging to follow at first– the author chooses to leave out quotation marks in dialogue, for example– but when you realize that the author is from deepest Bensonhurst (Italian Brooklyn) and telling the story from a deeply personal point of view, it becomes easy to read the first-person perspective in that accent and angle, and it all starts to flow. Once you’ve fallen into the perspective and rhythm, the tale wends and winds in a way that is arresting and difficult to put down. I laughed out loud and cried, I frowned in puzzled bewilderment and felt tipsy with the utter surreality written so well it casts a spell. From the tone of Brooklyn to the quirky, dusty twists of Taos, New Mexico to the strange experiential art world of San Francisco, this journey is more true than it is real, and yet achieves more reality than most novels manage to in their traditional literal realms. This author is clearly an original and a rare talent, and this is well worth the read, especially if you’re a real reader and are ready for new experiences.”– Ivy Little