The Kingdom of Sand

MICHAEL MAGRAS, BOOKPAGE

"A nonlinear, episodic novel focused on the transient nature of life could have been depressing, but Holleran's thoughtful, poetic treatment makes this material deeply moving and an important contribution to the literature of mortality. It's one of the most beautiful novels of the year ... The novel gains considerable power from its recognition that no attempt at immortality, whether through art or other means, guarantees success ... not for readers interested in lighthearted fare, but it's a stunning meditation on what happens, as the narrator says, 'when old age gets its claws in you.' Around the same time he cites Ruskin, the narrator reads a book on dying that offers sobering advice: Live a good life, because you're not going to have much control over your ending. This exquisite novel offers similar counsel: The final destination may be grim, but with luck and a good set of directions, one can at least enjoy the ride."