The Dubious Salvation of Jack V.
A Novel
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ISBN10: 1250013844
ISBN13: 9781250013842
Trade Paperback
256 Pages
$19.00
CA$26.00
Winner of the Commonwealth Regional Prize, Africa
For eleven-year-old Jack Viljee, apartheid Johannesburg is a rational and simple place. Whether he's picking fights with his little sister or fretting over his possibly gay best friend, Jack can always depend upon Susie, his family's black maid, for a word of sympathy and approval. The Viljee household, in its small way, mimics the politics of South Africa. But Jack's little world is upset by the arrival of Percy, Susie's teenaged son. When Percy catches Jack in a shameful moment, Jack discovers that even small acts of revenge can have unimaginable consequences. Subversively smart and unapologetically funny, Jacques Strauss's The Dubious Salvation of Jack V. is a powerful debut from a fearlessly original voice.
Reviews
Praise for The Dubious Salvation of Jack V.
"Strauss juggles Salvation's many elements with such apparent ease that it's not immediately obvious what a feat he's pulling off."—The Portland Mercury
"Honest . . . Compelling . . . [You'll] laugh out loud in the face of darkness."—The Literary Review
"Strauss writes with poise and comic timing . . . His highly enjoyable novel reads more as inspired memoir, so adroit is the telling."—The Irish Times (Dublin)
"A terrific read. It's smart, charming, funny, highly astute, and subtly political. It's set in Johannesburg, but the story could map onto life anywhere."—Douglas Coupland, author of Generation X
"Childhood innocence can be hilarious. And brutal. Jack's move from bystander to oppressor breaks up everything . . . A searing debut."—Booklist
Reviews from Goodreads
BOOK EXCERPTS
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Chapter 1
My family lived in a very nice house, on a very nice street in the northern suburbs of Johannesburg. It would be easy to get carried away about how nice it all was. If one isn't careful one might easily sound nostalgic. During the...
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The Dubious Salvation of Jack V.: Executions
When I was eleven I had nightmares about executions...
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Jacques Strauss
