Andy Catlett - (Port William) by Wendell Berry (Paperback)

About the Book

"Andy Catlett" is the latest installment in Wendell Berry's "Port William" series, a distinct set of stories that Berry has been telling now for 50 years. Set during the Christmas of 1943, nine-year-old Andy Catlett sets off to visit his grandparents in Port William by bus, by himself for the first time. For Andy this is a rite of passage, his first step into manhood. His experiences on this solitary voyage become pivotal points in the entire Port William epic. The old ways are in retreat, modern life is crowding everything in its path, and as Andy looks back many years later, he hears the stories again of his neighbors and friends. A beautiful short novel, now in paperback, "Andy Catlett" is a perfect introduction to the whole world of Port William, and will be a rich new installment for those already familiar with this unfolding story.

Book Synopsis

A young boy takes a trip on his own to visit his grandparents in Kentucky in the tenth entry in Wendell Berry's acclaimed Port William Membership series

In this "eloquent distillation of Berry's favorite themes: the importance of family, community and respect for the land" (Kirkus Reviews), nine-year-old Andy Catlett embarks on a solo trip by bus to visit his grandparents in Port William, Kentucky, during the Christmas of 1943. Full of "nostalgic, admiring detail" (Publishers Weekly), Andy observes the modern world crowding out the old ways, and the people he encounters become touchstones for his understanding of a precious and imperiled world.

This beautiful, short, memoir-like novel is a perfect entry-point to Wendell Berry's rich and ever-evolving saga of the Port William Membership, filled with images "as though describing a painting by Edward Hopper" (The New York Times).

About the Author

Wendell Berry is the author of fifty books of poetry, fiction, and essays. He was recently awarded the Cleanth Brooks Medal for Lifetime Achievement by the Fellowship of Southern Writers and the Louis Bromfield Society Award. For over forty years he has lived and farmed with his wife, Tanya, in Kentucky.