The U.S. Government begins to test the Atom Bomb in the Southern Nevada desert. Ten-year-old Ephraim Olsen wants to leave his home town of Divine Massacres, barely forty miles away. Even if it means gathering two of every kind of pet and desert fauna into the old V-2 rocket that adorns the Blast-Off Gas Station, he's determined to escape to Mars. Ephraim's Ark is a fable of a time when American popular culture embraced the Atom Bomb. Pre-Cold War. Pre-Cancer from radiation. Included are two short stories of the blue ...
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The U.S. Government begins to test the Atom Bomb in the Southern Nevada desert. Ten-year-old Ephraim Olsen wants to leave his home town of Divine Massacres, barely forty miles away. Even if it means gathering two of every kind of pet and desert fauna into the old V-2 rocket that adorns the Blast-Off Gas Station, he's determined to escape to Mars. Ephraim's Ark is a fable of a time when American popular culture embraced the Atom Bomb. Pre-Cold War. Pre-Cancer from radiation. Included are two short stories of the blue-collar residents of that distinct stretch of desert. No Gamblers. No gangsters. No Vegas Strip. Just a compromised vision of the American Dream in the shadow of the City of Sin.
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Seller's Description:
Fine. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 164 p. In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
New. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 164 p. In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Fine. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 164 p. In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
New. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 164 p. In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
Michael Amundsenââ?¬â?¢s ââ?¬Å"Ephraimââ?¬â?¢s Ark: and Other Tales of Southern Nevada,ââ?¬Â? is a captivating collection of short stories that vividly reflect the struggles of life in the southern desert near Las Vegas. To survive in this desert, the people must be resilient. All three narratives involve characters who are grappling with poverty and the hope of a better future. Amundsen uses a mixture of grit and humor to create these tales involving characters that manage to be flawed yet still endearing.
The main story, ââ?¬Å"Ephraimââ?¬â?¢s Ark,ââ?¬Â? (The Story of the Boy and the Bomb)was also my favorite. It is about Ephraim, an imaginative boy from the town of Divine Massacres. Ephraim becomes fixated on the atomic bomb testing that is scheduled to be near his home. Driven by fear, he creates a plan to commandeer an old V-2 rocket that is on display at a local gas station. Ephraim directs his friends to bring their pets to the gas station so that they can take off on the rocket and escape to Mars. Chaos soon ensues when Ephraim accidentally sets the gas station on fire, as he is trying to launch the rocket. Still concerned about an upcoming atomic test, after he has to witness the one he tried to escape, Ephraim hatches a new plan with last dramatic results.
Despite being born in the 1960s, this story still hit home with me because people still carried fears about the atomic bomb as I spent my early childhood near the southern Nevada desert. Amundsen did an excellent job of blending humor with a chilling sense of reality, especially as he describes the atomic bomb tests. The description of what happened to the characters after they were unnecessarily exposed to radiation from the fallout was very realistic and heart wrenching.
Lake Mead �76 and Time Share �83 are two other stories that complement Ephraim�s story. Despite being short stories, each narrative is filled with rich detail so that readers will feel transported to these times and places. The harsh realities of the southern Nevada desert resonate through each time frame. The residents of Divine Massacres, also known as Massacurians, were depicted with such authenticity that they felt real to me. Amundsen evokes feelings of poignancy when he shares their futures with us after the majority were impacted by the radiation. Even though it was fictional, it felt real to me.
In conclusion, ââ?¬Å"Ephraimââ?¬â?¢s Ark: and Other Tales of Southern Nevadaââ?¬Â? is sure to be enjoyed by readers who enjoy tales from the American southwest. It is appropriate for readers of all ages and would make an excellent selection for a readerââ?¬â?¢s group or a middle school or high school reading assignment. I look forward to more works by this talented author.
