Hell's Half-Acre - Softcover

Nicastro, Nicholas

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1539048675 ISBN 13: 9781539048671

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2016

Synopsis

"Welcome to the bloody end of bleeding Kansas..." Based on true events, this unforgettable novel tells the story of the Bloody Benders, a family of grifters and thieves running an isolated feed store on the Kansas plains, boarding travelers along the Great Osage Trail. Beautiful Kate Bender was mysterious and well-versed in the dark arts; Ma and Pa were quiet and foreboding, speaking in guttural tones; and young John Bender was thought to be insane. On land soaked with the blood of conflict, the Benders made their home. And one by one, prairie travelers began to disappear... Rooted in history, this is a vivid tale of the Benders’ origins, and how they became some of the most horrific figures in early post-Civil War America. "This meticulously researched, vividly told story marries an almost biblical poetry to the rough action of a Western. Readers who can stomach its violence will find a bleak beauty in this portrayal of one of the American prairie’s ugliest stories. A heavenly retelling of a hellish tale.” — Kirkus Reviews "'Hell’s Half-Acre' is a powerful and involving work. Nicastro’s anti-heroine, Kate Bender, is so winningly characterized he made me pull for her in a very unexpected way. But what sticks with me most is the land as the austere staging for this drama. The world is a stage and it’s as stark as all of Kansas with nowhere to hide. Nicastro’s language is equal to it." — Lamar Herrin, author of "The Unwritten Chronicles of Robert E. Lee" and "The Lies Boys Tell"

About this title

About the Author:

Nicholas Nicastro was born in Astoria, New York in 1963. His education includes a B.A. in English from Cornell University (1985), an M.F.A. in filmmaking from New York University (1991), an M.A. in archaeology and a PhD in psychology from Cornell (1996 and 2003). He has also worked as a film critic, a hospital orderly, a newspaper reporter, a library archivist, a college lecturer in anthropology and psychology, an animal behaviorist, and an advertising salesman. In addition to his novels, his writings include short fiction, travel and science articles in such publications as The New York Times, The New York Observer, Film Comment, and The International Herald Tribune.

Review:

“This meticulously researched, vividly told story marries an almost biblical poetry to the rough action of a Wester. Readers who can stomach its violence will find a bleak beauty in this portrayal of one of the American prairie’s ugliest stories. A heavely retelling of a hellish tale.” (Kirkus Reviews)

“Nicastro has reconstructed Kate’s story well...captivatingly written, with all the details, prairie life, and dialogue of the period...This Western’s plot straddles the Civil War period, and the use of flashbacks keeps the mystery riveting. A surprise ending awaits readers. Recommended.” (Historical Novels Review)

About this edition

• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 1539048675
• ISBN 13: 9781539048671
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 332