The Congress of Rough Riders
By (Author) John Boyne
Transworld Publishers Ltd
Black Swan
3rd September 2019
14th April 2011
United Kingdom
General
Fiction
Family life fiction
Modern and contemporary fiction: general and literary
Narrative theme: Sense of place
Narrative theme: Coming of age
823.92
Paperback
464
Width 130mm, Height 198mm, Spine 28mm
317g
The stunning second novel from the bestselling author of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. William Cody grows up surrounded by his father's tales of Buffalo Bill, to whom he is distantly related, and his fantasies of the Wild West. Though he escapes his heritage by fleeing abroad and starting a new life for himself, he finds that he is always drawn back to England and to his ancestry. When his father proposes that together they should recreate Buffalo Bill's stage show, "The Congress of Rough Riders of the World" for a contemporary audience, William refuses to have any part of it. When tragedy strikes, however, it is to his father that he must eventually return.
"Boyne's story has echoes of John Irving's sprawling family epics. This is an entertaining campfire story" Time "A total blast... clever, provocative stuff. A formidable achievement" Independent "A rollicking ride...Compelling" The Scotsman "The charm of history in this book lies in imagining how exciting it would have been to live there" Observer "Boyne is an engaging writer who succeeds in making his readers care about the confused and rather selfish William" Daily Telegraph
John Boyne is the author of thirteen novels for adults, six for younger readers and a collection of short stories. His 2006 novel The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas has sold more than 11 million copies worldwide and has been adapted for cinema, theatre, ballet and opera. His many international bestsellers include The Heart's Invisible Furies and A Ladder to the Sky. He has won three Irish Book Awards, along with a host of other international literary prizes. His novels are published in over fifty languages.