Gabriel's Story
Gabriel's Story is an award-winning 2001 novel by American author David Anthony Durham.
 Cover of first edition (hardcover) | |
| Author | David Anthony Durham |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Historical fiction novel |
| Publisher | Doubleday |
Publication date | 2001 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback and paperback) |
| Pages | 304 pp |
| ISBN | 978-0-385-49814-2 |
| OCLC | 43567440 |
| 813/.6 21 | |
| LC Class | PS3554.U677 G33 2001 |
Publication details
- Written by David Anthony Durham
- First published: Doubleday, United States, 2001.
Plot summary
David Anthony Durham made his literary debut with a haunting novel which, in the tradition of Cormac McCarthy's All the Pretty Horses, views the American West through an original lens. Set in the 1870s, the novel tells the tale of Gabriel Lynch, an African American youth who settles with his family in the plains of Kansas. Dissatisfied with the drudgery of homesteading and growing increasingly disconnected from his family, Gabriel forsakes the farm for a life of higher adventure. Thus begins a forbidding trek into a terrain of austere beauty, a journey begun in hope, but soon laced with danger and propelled by a cast of brutal characters. By writing about African American characters, Durham gave voice to a population seldom included in our Western lore.
Awards and honors
- Legacy Award for Debut Fiction from the Hurston/Wright Foundation
- 2002 Alex Award from the American Library Association
- 2001 First Novel Award from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association
- New York Times Notable Book
- Los Angeles Times and Publisher’s Weekly Best of 2001 pick
- Booklist Editor’s Choice
- Book club pick for The Washington Post and The Kansas City Star.
- For reviews see: USA Today (Jan 18th, 2001), San Francisco Chronicle (Jan 28th, 2001), Time Magazine (Feb 12th, 2001), The New York Times Book Review (Feb 25th, 2001), and “All Things Considered” on National Public Radio (Mar, 2001).
- Gabriel’s Story has been optioned by Uberto Pasolini (producer of The Full Monty) and is in development for a feature film with Alan Taylor to direct (Palookaville, The Emperor’s New Clothes).