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Table of Contents
About The Book
By turns tough and touching, Smith's modern detective story unravels the rich history of the fiftieth state and the realities of contemporary Hawaii -- its sizable homeless population, its drug subculture -- as well as its generous, diverse humanity and astonishing beauty. In this land of so many ghosts, the author's search for her mother becomes a reckoning with herself, her family, and with the meaning of home.
Product Details
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster (October 10, 2005)
- Length: 336 pages
- ISBN13: 9780743236805
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Raves and Reviews
"West of Then is a daughter's memoir both appalling and inspiring....She does not write with a grievance, or with a need for moral vindication, but with the gravity of love."
-- Susannah Moore, Vogue
"In a book that mingles a rainbow of intoxicating Hawaiian memories with the multigenerational story of her family's disintegration, Ms. Smith winds up capturing all the strain and anger and messiness of the trouble she faces."
-- Janet Maslin, The New York Times
"Tara Bray Smith's words lift off the page, hot and lucid, like the light of the islands she loves. Far, far more than a memoir, this is an anthem for hope and survival wrapped in startling, sometimes surprising poetry. Read this book and then keep it close to you; you'll want to read it again and again."
-- Alexandra Fuller, author of Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight
"To read Smith is...a pleasure like that of reading Joan Didion."
-- Elle
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High Resolution Images
- Book Cover Image (jpg): West of Then Trade Paperback 9780743236805(0.2 MB)
- Author Photo (jpg): Tara Bray Smith Photo Credit:(0.1 MB)
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