We Burn Daylight: A Novel

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An epic novel of star-crossed lovers set in a doomsday cult on the Texas prairie that asks- what would you sacrifice for the person you love Waco, Texas 1993. People from all walks of life have arrived to follow the Lamb's gospel-signing over savings and pensions, selling their homes and shedding marriages. They've come here to worship at the feet of a former landscaper turned prophet who is preparing for the End Times with a staggering cache of weapons. Jaye's mother is one of his newest and most devout followers, though Jaye herself has suspicions about the Lamb's methods-and his motives. Roy is the youngest son of the local sheriff; a 14 year old boy with a heart of gold and a nose for trouble who falls for Jaye without knowing of her mother's attachment to the man who is currently making his father's life hell. The two teenagers are drawn to each other immediately and completely, but their love may have dire consequences for their families. The Lamb has plans for them all-especially Jaye-and as his preaching and scheming move them closer and closer to unthinkable violence, Roy risks everything to save Jaye. Based on the true events that unfolded thirty years ago during the siege of the Branch Davidian compound, Bret Anthony Johnston's We Burn Daylight is an unforgettable love story, a heart-pounding literary page turner, and a profound exploration of faith, family, and what it means to truly be saved.

Reviews

Fascinating characters and an engaging, authentic style give We Burn Daylight a fine shot at the Great American Novel sweepstakes. Few people can bring Texas to life on the page like BretAnthony Johnston.Gary Shteyngart

Symphonic and suspenseful, We Burn Daylight reimagines events at the Branch Davidian compound in Waco. In an epic act of empathy, Bret Anthony Johnston inhabits every point of view, from doomed devotees to perplexed law enforcement, and even manages to infuse the tragedy with moments of poignant, very human, humor.Geraldine Brooks

Author Bio

Bret Anthony Johnston is the author of the internationally bestselling novel Remember Me Like This, which was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year and winner of the McLaughlin-Esstman-Stearns Prize as well as the award-winning Corpus Christi- Stories. His work has appeared in The Atlantic, Esquire, The Paris Review, The New York Times, The New York Times Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, Tin House, Glimmer Train, and Virginia Quarterly among others. Formerly director of the Harvard University creative writing program, Johnston is now the director of the Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas in Austin.