America America: A Novel

Ethan Canin

Jun 2008 · Sold by Random House

About this eBook

In the early 1970s, Corey Sifter, the son of working-class parents, becomes a yard boy on the grand estate of the powerful Metarey family. Soon, through the family’s generosity, he is a student at a private boarding school and an aide to the great New York senator Henry Bonwiller, who is running for president. Before long, Corey finds himself involved with one of the Metarey daughters as well, and he begins to leave behind the world of his upbringing. As the Bonwiller campaign gains momentum, Corey finds himself caught up in a complex web of events in which loyalty, politics, sex, and gratitude conflict with morality, love, and the truth. Ethan Canin’s stunning novel is about America as it was and is, a remarkable exploration of how vanity, greatness, and tragedy combine to change history and fate.

Ratings and reviews

I'm not totally sure how this book ended up on my "to read" list, but I'm glad it did. It's hard to characterize - part coming-of-age novel, part politics, part mystery, it tells the story of a young man (Corey) who is taken under the wing of the wealthy and politically connected Metarey family. I really enjoyed it, it was one of those books that's just a pleasure to read, one that I'm sad is over, not because I didn't like the ending, but because I wanted the prose and characters to keep going.

It's a pity that you charge for an electronic book the same price of a hard copy! You don't have to print, store, transport... You don't have to pay so many personnel... I'll expect for the day when I can afford these wonderful books.

About the author

Ethan Canin is the author of six books, including the story collections Emperor of the Air and The Palace Thief and the novels For Kings and Planets and Carry Me Across the Water. He is on the faculty of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and divides his time between Iowa and northern Michigan. He is also a physician.