Salt Marsh King

(Hardback)

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Description

Henry O'Reilly, the founder and head of an enormous seafood empire nearing the end of his career, makes sudden preparations to divide his company among his three sons and entrust to them not only the family business, but the future of their North Carolina town. The youngest of the three, Patrick, remains at odds with his family's decadence and avarice, and declines to become involved. As the two older men conspire to force Henry into early retirement and take over the company completely, his brothers' lust for power leads to turbulent and terrifying battles with Patrick unwillingly thrust to the very eye of the storm. As greed, cowardice, and petty spite threaten to destroy those around him, Patrick proves himself no match for the scheming of others. If he is to survive the maelstrom wrought by his bickering, dangerous kin, he must find his strength within. Caught between the spiraling pulls of business intrigue and the deadly force of a hurricane sweeping up the Carolinas, the events of The Salt Marsh King will alter the shape of a barrier island, the destiny of a powerful family, and the fate of the town that relies on their industry. Fast on the heels of his 2013 successful short "The Brackish", Drew Krepp's debut novel "The Salt Marsh King" heralds the full arrival of a talented author with a voice well suited to reprise Shakespeare's tragedy.

Reviews

"This debut novel is a retelling of King Lear in the broadest possible strokes -- the passing of the kingdom, in this case a seafood company in North Carolina; the exclusion of the youngest child; the faithful general named Kent; even a climactic storm. Unlike Lear, however, the focus here is almost entirely on that youngest child and the way he wrestles with his role in events as they unravel ... Krepp writes beautifully about the water, its many moods, and the significance of its actions. The result is essentially Lear Lite, lacking the brilliant psychological complexity and subplots of the original but still offering an engaging examination of loyalty, greed, and power -- and the devastating upheaval that results when these potent forces combine. -- Booklist Drew Krepps fine first novel, The Salt Marsh King, shuffles a deck of wealth, power, betrayal, and family secrets and then deals us lucky readers a royal flush -- with suspense and tension ratcheted up degree by degree, page by page. Along the way, Mr Krepp masterfully describes places that you smell and feel while he weaves themes that touch on the nature of time and our trajectories in it. -- Clyde Edgerton, author of five New York Times notable books of the year, including the "Night Train", "Solo" and "Walking Across Egypt" The explosively entertaining Salt Marsh King is a captivating story mixed with strikingly poetic elements. Krepps passion for the nautical outdoors is reminiscent of a young Hemingway, while his contemporary prose rivals that of Chad Harbachs. Its a fascinating novel that will make you see Shakespeares King Lear in a whole new light. -- Tony Musico, LA-based Playwright & Screenwriter Drew Krepp is an impressive young writer whos weighed in with a powerful and thrilling debut novel. Saturated with details of place -- you can smell the ocean and see the marsh -- The Salt Marsh King also delivers the high drama of a strongly rendered Oedipal conflict. A great read. -- David Gessner, author of "Return of the Osprey", "Called by the Boston Globe" & Classic Of American Nature Writing Drew Krepp understands the meaning of work, how it starts as a living but soon becomes a way of life, making us narrow or open-minded, callous or compassionate. Lear may be his jumping off point, but The Salt Marsh King is all his own, a taut and emotionally powerful story that demonstrates precocious talent. Krepp is definitely a novelist to watch. -- Robert Anthony Siegel, author of "The Novels", "All Will Be Revealed" & "All the Money in the World" Salute the start of a great career. Drew Krepp boldly steps into the long storytelling tradition of the novel, and this book reads as if Steinbeck took a long walk with Pat Conroy, discussed Shakespeare, and dreamt up this big beautiful book. The story winds around and cares about everything-family, loyalty, manhood, friendship, business. A brilliant debut. -- Rebecca Lee, Author of "Bobcat & Other Stories", A Finalist for the 2014 Story Prize

Author Bio

Drew Krepp was born on the North Fork of Long Island and grew up in Fayetteville, North Carolina. He graduated from Cornell University with a B.A. in English with a concentration in 19th century American literature before studying graduate level creative writing at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. He has worked as a lawn and garden center helper, a kennel worker, a bartender, a dishwasher in a sorority house, a pizza delivery driver, a mailroom clerk at a law school, a customer account rep at a sign shop, an organ-transplant courier, a production assistant for a non-profit arts organization, a boat maintenance/repair tech, a carpenter/handyman, a reader for a literary journal, and a graduate teaching assistant. In 2014, his short story, The Brackish, was selected by AM Homes, winner of the Womens Prize for Fiction and a bestselling author, for inclusion in The Masters Review, an annual ten-story collection showcasing the best in graduate-level writing from students in MA, MFA, and PhD creative writing programs. Drew divides his time between Wilmington and Baltimore, where he lives with his wife Jenni, their two children, and the worlds least aggressive cat in a venerable brick rowhouse that leaks more than the sailboat in which he once lived. The Salt Marsh King is his first published novel.