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GHOSTS OF TOM JOAD Paperback – 25 Apr 2014

by PETER VAN BUREN (Author)
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Product Description

A story about growth, failure, and redemption, "Ghosts of Tom Joad" traces the rise of the working poor and the don't-have-to-work-rich as it follows the fortunes of the protagonist Earl. A product of the post-Korean War era, Earl witnesses his parents' kitchen table arguments over money--echoed in thousands of other Rust Belt towns--experiences bullying, relishes first kisses, and comes of age and matures as a man before the economic hardships of the 1980s and 1990s wear on his spirit. Earl takes his turn at a variety of low-paying retail jobs in the new economy before becoming mired in homelessness and succumbing to meth, alcohol, and destitution. As he takes a final, metaphorical bus ride, Earl reflects on his past, considering the impact of the war on his father--and, subsequently, on himself--his own demise, and the romance between himself and Angel, which ultimately redeems him. This is a tale about the death of manufacturing, the deindustrialization of America, and a way of life that has been irrevocably lost. Anyone interested in the impact of political and business policy on the American Dream will be drawn to this profound, humorous, and moving novel.

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)

Amazon.com: HASH(0x93e92174) out of 5 stars 32 reviews
40 of 40 people found the following review helpful
HASH(0x9cc3a5c4) out of 5 stars I miss America... 24 April 2014
By James V - Published on Amazon.com
Format: Paperback
I wasn’t ready for this one. I guess I was expecting something a little more MSNBC. You know, the kind of book that contains nothing but glowing praise for the #Occupy movement and endless tirades about how shopping at Wal-Mart makes you an evil person. The kind of book that you can almost tell was written on an iMac computer over three weeks in a Starbucks café by a dude wearing those thick hipster glasses.

Man, I wasn’t even close.

“Ghosts of Tom Joad” is a heartbreaking tale of one man against the world, or rather the world against one man. I don’t think you can call it an epic since it takes place almost entirely within a small town in rust-belt Ohio, but it’s definitely raw, gritty, and painful. The narrator pulls no punches when it comes to describing his downward spiral into underemployment and homelessness, and the novel that results is heartbreakingly authentic.

Fair warning: this book contains descriptions of sexual activity, physical abuse, and violence. Still, the most frightening part came when I realized that the narrator was being haunted by the ghost of the American dream.

RIP, Capitalism.
21 of 21 people found the following review helpful
HASH(0x9cc3a624) out of 5 stars Reality with humor and pathos 6 April 2014
By Lisa - Published on Amazon.com
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
Have and have-nots have always existed. The Ghosts of Tom Joad brings this conflict so often touched upon in literature into a modern day, down-turned economy. Riveted with a bit of nostalgia for the rosier 70s and 80s, the story manages to find humor in an otherwise dismal life. When you choose to ride this bus with Earl, you’ll find yourself reminiscing with him, rooting for him, and yearning for the release he strives to find.
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
HASH(0x9cc3a198) out of 5 stars Timeless, now and then 29 April 2014
By Always Learning - Published on Amazon.com
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
This book stands on its own as a novel, because the writing is wonderful. But it is - sadly - a cautionary tale for those who refused to understand history. Tom Joad is back, and Van Buren skillfully echoes Steinbeck while at the same time creating a tale of the early 21st century. Belongs on the shelf next to Nickel and Dimed.
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
HASH(0x94445f60) out of 5 stars This could be me… or you 16 April 2014
By FlashKnickers - Published on Amazon.com
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
I was completely enthralled by this compelling novel, which deftly weaves fictional narrative and non-fictional, factual information together to tell the story of America… past, present and future. It's an intelligently written story that illustrates how "The American Dream" is not necessarily attainable for everyone, due to economic and political factors far beyond their control. We are all a bad break or two away from being Earl.

I found myself completely engrossed in the personalities and situations in this book, and I'm afraid I must totally disagree with a previous reviewer about the dialogue, which I thought was authentically in the voice of the characters. And to say that this story is an ode to capitalism is to completely misunderstand and oversimplify it. I, for one, couldn't put this book down. This is *literature.*
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
HASH(0x94de11e0) out of 5 stars Grapes of Wrath for our Time 29 April 2014
By Ian Vlahos - Published on Amazon.com
Format: Paperback
Was Mr. Van Buren informed by John Steinbeck? You bet. Steinbeck was the clarion call of awareness for the Depression-era Oakies, and Van Buren is no less of a mirror and literary translator for an entire generation that has been destroyed by the end of manufacturing as we knew it. The circumstances, the decades-long bloodletting, the heart-beat that goes slower and softer to nothing -- it is part of our American experience now. But so many of us live in urban and suburban bubbles of personal consumption and self-absorption, and it is only right that someone force us to step outside, learn and live it for a while. Take a road trip through Pennsylvania, New York, West Virginia, Ohio, and for god sakes, Detroit -- the burned out buildings, the empty shells of once thriving downtowns, the battered gas stations, the peeling broken homes, the vestiges of former community pride, all there. Your car speeds by and you wonder. Van Dorn, however informed and compelled, slowed down and went inside. What he has come back to us with is horror and enlightenment, dysfunction and redemption. I believe -- unlike the previous reviewer --his dialogue is as raw as it is true. And it fits. Thank you Peter, and I hope the book gets to those who really need to read it (hint: start inside the Beltway).
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