John Green & NYT Love THE LAST FLIGHT OF POXL WEST!

Oh boy, do we have a super #FridayReads pick today: THE LAST FLIGHT OF POXL WEST by Daniel Torday.

The New York Times and some author named John Green (!) love Torday’s novel about a young man recounting the idolization of his Uncle Poxl, a Jewish, former-RAF pilot.

“It’s Mr. Torday’s ability to shift gears between sweeping historical vistas and more intimate family dramas, and between old-school theatrics and more contemporary meditations on the nature of storytelling that announces his emergence as a writer deserving of attention.”   Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times

https://twitter.com/johngreen/status/573855542264918016

https://twitter.com/johngreen/status/573856299491987456

I am apparently not the only person who really liked The Last Flight of Poxl West by @dtorday. http://t.co/aBdZlcGhry

— John Green (@johngreen) March 6, 2015

And although it won’t be out until March 15, THE LAST FLIGHT OF POXL WEST will shine brightly on the cover of the New York Times Book Review! Here’s a sneak peek at what they’ve got to say:

“Expertly crafted…lyrical prose, superb Rothian sentences that glide over the page as smoothly as a Spitfire across a cloudless sky…an utterly accomplished novel. Dan Torday is a writer, one with real talent and heart.”

More praise for THE LAST FLIGHT OF POXL WEST:

“While Torday is more likely to be compared to Philip Roth or Michael Chabon than Gillian Flynn, his debut novel has two big things in common with GONE GIRL-it’s a story told in two voices, and it’s almost impossible to discuss without revealing spoilers. The reversal that defines this novel arrives late and changes the meaning of everything that’s come before, but that’s all you’ll hear about it here.   Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Torday (director of creative writing, Bryn Mawr Coll.) is a polished writer who creates an unforgettable character for whom the term flight describes his whole life. Poxl’s inability to reconcile his love for people with their less-than-heroic behaviors, in the end, leaves him completely alone. This portrait of a Holocaust survivor’s experiences is innovative, and its page-turning plot will keep readers on the edge until the very end.”   Library Journal

“Torday’s descriptive and powerful prose stands as the book’s highlight. The book-within-a-book memoir is a page-turner, particularly as Poxl remembers his mother and father and their marriage, and his time in London during the Blitz.”
  Publishers Weekly

“A well-crafted and moving novel.”   Booklist