In this rollicking first novel, a small town its thrown into an uproar when several of its teenage citizens claim to have been impregnated by spacemen. Are they "spinning" tales? A crushed cow found lying in the center of a scorched, perfect circle in a nearby field suggests they're not--and the rumor mill goes into overdrive with the arrival of Phillip, the new librarian. He falls for Delia and is soon caught up in the irresistible drama of uncovering the town's darkest secrets. What he finds shakes the community far more than a flying saucer ever could.
Industry Reviews
?McCarten is part barker, part juggler, part aerialist. . . . While never losing his humor, McCarten seriously considers how discombobulating a story . . . can be in an unstable society.?--"New York Times?An amusing portrait of a tiny New Zealand town struggling to cope with teenage sexuality, bad PR, and space aliens.?--"Los Angeles Times ?McCarten keenly juxtaposes the absurd and the grotesque, hilarity and pain. . . . [His] ability to evoke the many faces of a small town by juggling simultaneous scenes and multiple subplots is almost Dickensian. . . . McCarten shares Dickens' capacity to borrow the harsh lines and humor of caricature without sacrificing the humanity of his characters.?--"San Francisco Examiner?McCarten takes his readers on an amusing, cynical and often tender romp through small-town New Zealand. . . . ["Spinners] has an often dark and quite wicked sense of humor.?--"Washington Times?A remarkably sweet and tender love story of a very odd and affecting sort.?--"San Diego Tribune?A clever plot and solid characters make ["Spinners] a laugh-out-loud treat.?--"Tampa Tribune?Zippy dialogue, fantastically funny characters . . . "Spinners is a fun romp and commentary on our scandal-hungry culture.?--"St. Petersburg Times?[McCarten's] dramatist's ear for language comes through beautifully . . . All is not what it seems in "Spinners, a quiet, graceful novel about the yearnings of the human heart.?--"Minneapolis Star Tribune?There are enough lustrous passages in "Spinners to give it a translucent glow'alien spaceship or not.?--"Newsday [McCarten's] wry, lighthearted treatment of a bizarre situation often gives way to little, thoughtful moments that betray larger emotionaltruths.?--"Santa Rosa Press Democrat?Thoroughly engrossing . . . bright, witty and hilarious: McCarten knows exactly how far he can push the envelope, and he doesn't let up until the very last minute. More, please.?--"Kirkus Reviews (starred)?One of New Zealand's best-known playwrights explores the powers of the imagination when confronted with seemingly inexplicable events. McCarten has wrapped a mystery around contemporary issues . . . in this fine fiction debut.?--"Booklist (starred)
