Reviews
“At Dawn is the brave, rare sort of novel that finds extraordinary meaning in
ordinary lives. The characters are beautifully complex, honorable and compassionate,
and yet, like so many of us,deeply flawed and emotionally scarred. The writing is
clean and sharp and vivid, and in reading Jobie Hughes I’m reminded of the tremendous
power of simple honesty in storytelling. This is a fine book by a fine writer.”
James Brown
Author of The Los Angeles Diaries and This River
“Hughes' debut novel, At Dawn, follows a former All-American wrestler,
and is there any better metaphor for contemporary American life? We're all
wrestling, tussling with the economy, no jobs, doing the best we can.
Hughes doesn't flinch from the tough existential questions. He embraces them.”
Joshua Mohr
Author of Damascus
“Hughes combines coming-of-age tale, portrait of the artist as a young man,
and father-son saga in a well-crafted novel...[with] pathos, wit, and insight into the
relationships that define our lives.”
Publishers Weekly
Review
“Narrator has it tough ‘At Dawn’
Stratton Brown looks good on paper. The narrator of At Dawn, Spencer native Jobie Hughes’ new novel,
has a college degree in finance, experience at a New York brokerage and a state athletic championship on his
résumé. After he loses the brokerage job, and then two more,he relocates to Chicago and applies for any job he can find.”
Barbara McIntyre
Review - Read more