The Five Wounds (novel) explained

The Five Wounds
Author:Kirstin Valdez Quade
Country:United States
Language:English
Set In:Las Penas, New Mexico
Publisher:W. W. Norton & Company
Pub Date:March 30, 2021
Media Type:Print (hardback), e-book, audiobook
Pages:432
Isbn:978-0-393-24283-6
Isbn Note:(First edition hardback)
Oclc:1156993141

The Five Wounds is the debut novel by Kirstin Valdez Quade, published by W. W. Norton & Company on March 30, 2021.[1] It is an expansion of Quade's short story of the same name, which was first published in The New Yorker and later collected in her debut short story collection, Night at the Fiestas (2015).[2] The Five Holy Wounds suffered by Jesus Christ during the crucifixion is used as a metaphor in the novel.

Premise

Amadeo Padilla, a struggling alcoholic, lives with his pregnant daughter, Angel, and ailing mother, Yolanda, in Las Penas, New Mexico. He is selected to portray Jesus Christ in the town's annual play which reenacts the Passion of Jesus, and is organized by the Roman Catholic lay group Los Hermanos Penitentes.

Reception

In a starred review, Publishers Weekly wrote that the "well-developed characters convey palpable emotion" and concluded, "Quade's rendering of a singular community is pitch perfect."[3]

In The New York Times, Alexandra Chang wrote, "Quade has created a world bristling with compassion and humanity. The characters and the challenges they face are wholly realized and moving; their journeys span a wide spectrum of emotion and it is impossible not to root for all three."[4]

The novel was awarded the 2021 Center for Fiction First Novel Prize.[5] It was also shortlisted for the 2021 Aspen Words Literary Prize[6] [7] and the 2022 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction.[8] It was named one of the best books of the year by NPR[9] and Publishers Weekly.[10]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The Five Wounds: A Novel by Kirstin Valdez Quade . December 4, 2021 . . December 4, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211204065652/https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393242836 . live .
  2. Web site: Welch . Michael . April 8, 2021 . The Possibility of Change and Movement in "The Five Wounds" . December 4, 2021 . . December 4, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211204065652/https://chireviewofbooks.com/2021/04/08/the-possibility-of-change-and-movement-in-the-five-wounds/ . live .
  3. Web site: December 17, 2020 . Fiction Book Review: The Five Wounds by Kirstin Valdez Quade. Norton, $26.95 (428p) ISBN 978-0-3932-4283-6 . December 4, 2021 . . December 4, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211204065650/https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-3932-4283-6 . live .
  4. News: Chang . Alexandra . Alexandra Chang (writer) . May 4, 2021 . From Spain to Sydney to Small-Town New Mexico, 3 Debuts Anchored by a Strong Sense of Place . . December 4, 2021 . December 4, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211204065650/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/04/books/review/kirstin-valdez-quade-the-five-wounds-permafrost-eva-baltasar-kavita-bedford-friends-and-dark-shapes.html . live .
  5. Web site: Kirstin Valdez Quade Wins The Center for Fiction 2021 First Novel Prize for The Five Wounds . December 20, 2021 . . December 20, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211220221030/https://centerforfiction.org/kirstin-valdez-quade-wins-the-the-center-for-fiction-2021-first-novel-prize-for-the-five-wounds/ . live .
  6. Web site: Schaub . Michael . 2022-02-28 . Finalists for Aspen Words Literary Prize Revealed . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220228182258/https://www.kirkusreviews.com/news-and-features/articles/finalists-for-aspen-words-literary-prize-revealed/ . 2022-02-28 . 2022-03-01 . . en.
  7. Web site: Chadburn . Melissa . 2022-02-28 . Awards: New-York Historical Society Zalaznick Winner; Aspen Words Shortlist . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220228164124/https://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=4178 . 2022-02-28 . 2022-03-01 . Shelf Awareness.
  8. Web site: 2022 Winners . December 4, 2021 . . 17 October 2021 . 3 June 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230603065804/https://www.ala.org/rusa/awards/carnegie-medals/2022-winners . live .
  9. Web site: Best Books 2021: Books We Love . December 4, 2021 . . February 18, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210218200500/https://apps.npr.org/best-books/#year=2021&book=274 . live .
  10. Web site: Best Books 2021: Publishers Weekly . December 4, 2021 . . December 4, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211204065651/https://best-books.publishersweekly.com/pw/best-books/2021/fiction . live .

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