In 1971, a property speculator named Harley Mann begins recording his life story onto a reel-to-reel machine. Reflecting on his childhood in the early twentieth century, Harley recounts that after his father's sudden death, his family migrated down to Florida's swamplands - mere miles away from what would become Disney World - to join a community of Shakers. Led by Elder John, a generous man with a mysterious past, the colony devoted itself to labor, faith, and charity, rejecting all temptations that lay beyond the property.
Though this way of life initially saved Harley and his family from complete ruin, when Harley began falling in love with Sadie Pratt, a consumptive patient living on the grounds, his loyalty to the Shakers and their conservative worldview grew strained and, ultimately, broke. As Harley dictates his story across more than half a century - meditating on youth, Florida's everchanging landscape, and the search for an American utopia - the truth about Sadie, Elder John, and the Shakers comes to light, clarifying the past and present alike.
| ISBN: | 9780857305473 |
| Publication date: | 27th January 2023 |
| Author: | Russell Banks |
| Publisher: | No Exit Press an imprint of Bedford Square Publishers |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Pagination: | 320 pages |
| Genres: |
Modern and Contemporary Fiction |
In 1971, a property speculator named Harley Mann begins recording his life story onto a reel-to-reel machine. Reflecting on his childhood in the early twentieth century, Harley recounts that after his father's sudden death, his family migrated down to Florida's swamplands - mere miles away from what would become Disney World - to join a community of Shakers.
The Magic Kingdom features in the following genres: Modern and Contemporary Fiction
Paperback, Hardback. Not Available.
The Magic Kingdom was written by Russell Banks and published by No Exit Press an imprint of Bedford Square Publishers
The Magic Kingdom has 320 pages