"This novel is unforgettable both for its subject matter and its form of narration. The style is electrifying and there are images that will burn in the reader's mind forever. Ed Macdonald is a gripping writer."—Alistair MacLeod "This excellent debut novel combines gutsy language and a relentless, engaging plot with one of the most chaotic but loveable protagonists in recent CanLit…this satisfying book leaves the reader feeling grateful to be alive." — "Here is a writer who knows how to put people together on the page and let the sparks fly: passages between Spat and an older, fellow alcoholic he encounters at a recovery meeting are drawn with the delicacy and barbed wit of a good inner-city vignette from ."—