The Second Life of Samuel Tyne

Reviews

“A deftly constructed tale [with a] fiery climax. . . Edugyan’s story of one tiny, befuddled corner of the African diaspora is finally about all of us — about the hope we have of being our best selves, before it’s too late.”
—The Globe and Mail

“Psychotic twins, small-town racism and Samuel’s struggle for identity [comprise] a truly interesting tale. [A] first novel, bright light. . .to be delved into and pondered.”
—The Times-Colonist (Victoria)

“Powerfully written….It is not surprising her stories should appeal to [Joyce Carol] Oates, because there is a similar feel to their work. Both drag the reader along on journeys they might not take alone, but won’t forget, however queasy they might feel afterward.”
—The Hamilton Spectator

“[A] daring, original work….In this remarkably composed novel, Esi Edugyan has conjured up a broth of magic and reality that crosses cultural boundaries. Some things in our experience — even the petty betrayals and the few exalted moments — are a mystery, the novel suggests. We go on, and there is no logical explanation for the turning of the seasons. At the end of his second life, that’s what the look on Samuel Tyne’s face seems to say.”
—The Vancouver Sun

“Her prose style is poised and deeply serious, and it is perfectly suited to a story filled, as this is, withrich layers of plot….It is an unsentimental portrait, and Edugyan confronts this man’s destiny with a kind of clarity that he himself only sees in spurts.”
—The Edmonton Journal

“Edugyan describes the complexities of family life in absorbing detail. The first half of the novel holds much promise. The cadenced sentences demand attention, drawing the reader deep into the resentment and deterioration of the family. …Edugyan has a strong ability to conjure characters and a sense of place and time. She writes with quiet compassion about Aster’s black population and their struggles though small-town stereotypes and expectations.”
—Winnipeg Free Press

“…a work that balances the brilliance an audacity of youthful enthusiasm with sage awareness. It’s an impressive debut. …Edugyan does a fine job building the tension, eliciting a gothic menace that suffuses even the banal of descriptions or conversations. … The Second Life of Samuel Tyne stands a beautifully written novel of mounting isolation, violence and loss, the legacy of family and of culture, of wisdom hard-won and tragic. It’s hard to believe it’s a first novel.”
—Robert Wiersema, Toronto Star

"Esi Edugyan has written a moving and brilliant novel. Both familiar and exotic, The Second Life of Samuel Tyne is in some ways a compassionate second chance for us all."
—David Adams Richards

"Prepare to meet Maude and Samuel Tyne, two of the most complex, contradictory, frustrating, appealing, and heart-breaking characters you're likely to find between covers. Prepare to worry about them, cheer for them, defend them, even to love them — while wanting to knock their heads together or give them a good shake. This husband and wife are so real you think you ought to get to Alberta fast and try to save them from themselves. But first you'd have to save them from their terrifying daughters."
—Jack Hodgins Expand reviews