Brad Barkley
Money, Love
A Novel
"Filled to the brim with fall-down funny scenes an vividly etched, unforgettable characters.—Washington Post
Ever since sixteen-year-old Gabe Strickland can remember, his father, Roman, has believed in the sale: that magical moment on the customer's porch, the deal about to close. But with each dizzying success comes an equally memorable failure, and Gabe's mother, Gladys, has grown tired of waiting for a life of financial stability. So in the summer of 1975 she leaves Roman and goes to live with his dependable brother Dutch. Confident he can win Gladys back, Roman pins all his hopes on a barnstorming tour of Southern carnivals, hawking tickets for "Death Cars of Celebrities." Gabe finds his own truth somewhere between Roman's quixotic dreaming and Gladys's newfound stability, and he learns that love is, ultimately, the one thing that can't be bought or sold. Reading group guide included.
"Terrifically entertaining.... A thoroughly captivating debut. First novels don't get much better than this.—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"A strong, impressive debut...truly hilarious.—The Raleigh News and Observer
"Readers who value insight and meaning will be interrupting one another to announce this new author's arrival.—The Baltimore Sun
"Death cars, Crown Royal, Rod McKuen and door-to-door sales. Money, Love is a gentle and funny coming of age that frames loss and innocence in completely American terms.—Stewart O'Nan, author of A Prayer for the Dying
"Money, Love will make you laugh, make you fret, and then make you cheer. What more can a novel do?—Rick DeMarinis, author of Borrowed Hearts
"Fans of Michael Malone's Handling Sin will love Brad Barkley's Money, Love. It's a hilarious first novel by a very talented young writer.—Richard Russo, author of Nobody's Fool
"I loved these people and admired this swift, wise and luminous book.—John Dufresne, author of Louisiana Power and Light and Love Warps the Mind a Little
"What rueful fun this novel is, what tender and valiant spirit it celebrates! What a triumph for its author!—Fred Chappell, author of Look Back All the Green Valley
"Sweetly comic.... Barkley's entertaining story provides humor and poignancy in equal measure.—Publishers Weekly
"A wacky, offbeat first novel.... rich in detail and character.... An enjoyable read.—Library Journal
Brad Barkley, a native of North Carolina, is the author of Circle View, a short-story collection. He lives in Frostburg, Maryland.
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