Novelist to read from his latest book at WWU
Becky Roberts, staff writer
March 27, 2012
Filed under Features
Novelist Alex George will read from his book, “A Good American,” a story of immigrant hope, April 5 at William Woods University. George, 42, is a writer and a lawyer. He was born in England, but lives in Columbia, Mo.
The event, which is free and open to the public, will be held at 11 a.m. in the Mildred Cox Gallery of the Gladys Woods Kemper Center for the Arts. It is sponsored by Writer’s Ink, a student organization.
Sara Gruen, author of “Water for Elephants,” said, “This lush, epic tale of one family’s journey from immigrant to Good Americans had me alternately laughing and crying, but always riveted. It’s a rich, rare treat of a book, and Alex George is a first-rate talent.”
Set in a fictional Midwestern town and spanning more than a century, “A Good American” tells the story of three generations of the Meisenheimer family. Each new generation discovers afresh what it means to be an American and, in the process, they sometimes find out more about themselves than they had bargained for.
The 387-page novel was published in February, 2012, by Amy Einhorn Books/Putnam. It is George’s fifth book. His first four books, “Working it Out” (1999), “Before Your Very Eyes” (2000), “Love You Madly” (2002) and “Wonderful You” (2005), were published by HarperCollins in England.
Publishers Weekly called the latest book, “A sentimental, lively, and sad family saga … George evokes small-town life lovingly, sometimes disturbingly, and examines the ties of family, the complications of home, and the moments of love and happiness that arrive no matter what.”
Other accolades include:
• #1 Pick for Indie Next List
• Amazon “Best Books of the Month” List,
• Barnes & Noble Discover Pick
• Barnes & Noble Top Staff Pick for Fiction
• Midwest Connection Pick, February 2012
• #1 “Title to Pick Up Now” for O Magazine
• “Delightful” – USA Today
• “A near-perfect novel” – BethFishReads.com
George has been named as one of Britain’s top 10 “30-something” novelists by the Times of London. and was also named as the Independent on Sunday’s “face to watch” for fiction in its Fresh Talent feature.
He studied law at Oxford University and worked for eight years as a corporate lawyer in London and Paris. He moved to the United States in 2003, and re-qualified as a U.S. attorney. He now runs his own law firm in Columbia.
The father of two children, his hobbies include soccer, listening to jazz, playing saxophone and cooking. He is president of the board of the Voluntary Action Center, a leading nonprofit organization in mid-Missouri.
For more information on his appearance at WWU, contact Matt Dube, assistant professor of English, at matt.dube@williamwoods.edu. For more information on Alex George, go to www.alexgeorgebooks.com.
