Shade of the Raintree, Centennial Edition : The Life and Death of Ross Lockridge, Jr., Author of Raintree County

This true story of literary stardom and sudden tragedy is "a riveting book, shattering and shot through with the powerful poignancy of a life undone" ( Detroit News ). Raintree County , the first novel by Ross Lockridge, Jr., was the publishing event of 1948. Excerpted in Life magazine, it was a Book-of-the-Month Club Main Selection, won MGM's Novel Award and a movie deal, and stood at the top of the nation's bestseller lists. Unfortunately, Lockridge's first novel was also his last. Two months after its publication the thirty-three-year-old author from Bloomington, Indiana, took his own life. His son Larry was five years old at the time. Shade of the Raintree is Larry's search for an understanding of his father's baffling act. In this powerfully narrated biography, Larry Lockridge uncovers a man of great vitality, humor, love, and visionary ambition, but also of deep vulnerability. The author manages to combine a son's emotional investments with a sleuth's dispassionate inquiry. The result is "a book that is, in its own way, as remarkable and compelling as Raintree County " ( Milwaukee Journal ). "Larry Lockridge here faces the double tasking of writing a biography of his father and of finding out what drove him to a ruthless act of self-destruction. An immensely moving book, deserving of the Pulitzer Prize." — Kirkus Reviews This edition includes a new preface by the author. Raintree County, the first novel by Ross Lockridge, Jr., was the publishing event of 1948. Excerpted in Life magazine, it was a Book-of-the-Month Club Main Selection, won MGM's Novel Award and a movie deal, and stood at the top of the nation's bestseller lists. Unfortunately, Lockridge's first novel was also his last. Two months after its publication the 33-year-old author from Bloomington, Indiana, took his own life. His son Larry was five years old at the time. Shade of the Raintree is Larry's search for an understanding of his father's baffling act. In this powerfully narrated biography, Larry Lockridge uncovers a man of great vitality, humor, love, and visionary ambition, but also of deep vulnerability. The author manages to combine a son's emotional investments with a sleuth's dispassionate inquiry. The result is an exhilarating, revelatory narrative of an American writer's life. With a new preface by the author, this 2014 paperback edition marks 100 years since the birth of Ross Lockridge, Jr **This true story of literary stardom and sudden tragedy is "a riveting book, shattering and shot through with the powerful poignancy of a life undone" (__Detroit News__).**__Raintree County____Life____Shade of the Raintree____Raintree County____Milwaukee Journal__"Larry Lockridge here faces the double tasking of writing a biography of his father and of finding out what drove him to a ruthless act of self-destruction. An immensely moving book, deserving of the Pulitzer Prize." —__This edition includes a new preface by the author.__ Raintree County, the first novel by Ross Lockridge, Jr, was the publishing event of 1948. Excerpted in Life magazine, it was a Book-of-the-Month Club Main Selection, and won MGM's Novel Award. Unfortunately, Lockridge's first novel was also his last. His son Larry was five years old at the time. In this book, he uncovers his father's story. In 1948, Ross Lockridge's novel Raintree County was a number one bestseller and acclaimed literary work. Yet, at the height of his fame at age 33, Lockridge killed himself. In a brilliant biography, his son Larry seeks understanding