Contents

HarperCollins e-book extra: Who Is Wally Lamb? The author addresses the National Endowment for the Arts.

1   On the afternoon of October 12, 1990. . .

2   One Saturday morning. . .

3   When you’re the sane brother. . .

4   The maximum-security Hatch. . .

5   Thomas and I are going. . .

6   I read the note. . .

7   Thomas and I meander. . .

8   When my brother and I graduated. . .

9   “Come in, come in. . .’

10   Thomas and I have been to three. . . 

11   It was musical chairs and months-old. . . 

12   Any sane man would have. . . 

13   The Indian cemetery that abuts the sprawling. . . 

14   Dr. Patel had warned me she might. . . 

15   “Hold these, please,” Dr. Patel said, handing. . . 

16   Ma was thrilled to have us back home. . . 

17   “Mr. Birdsey, tell me about your stepfather.”. . . 

18   The summer Thomas and I worked. . . 

19   Dell Weeks never drank before noon. . . 

20   Ray jerked my brother around. . . 

21   It was after two the next afternoon. . . 

22   I was outside in front, waiting. . . 

23   When my stepfather warned me not. . . 

24   The next day, Dessa and I drove out. . . 

25   “Almond, peanut butter, or crunch?”

26   Beep!

27   The thump outside woke me up.

28   GOD BLESS AMERICA!

29   Leo approached my stepfather, holding. . . 

30   “Carry the corpse,” the monkey says.

31   The History of Domenico Onofrio Tempesta,. . . 

32   Rain drummed against the car roof.

33   The hellish voyage aboard the SS Napolitano. . . 

34   Dr. Patel said it was lovely to see me again.

35   For two nights now, no sleep.

36   “So he drags her to the bridge, shoves her. . . 

37   I left Signora Siragusa’s boardinghouse. . . 

38   I closed the door on the pounding rain, the wind.

39   That was the night the Monkey told me. . . 

40   Sheffer was late, as usual.

41   My wife and I never discussed. . . 

42   Ray and I sat side by side in the. . . 

43   After that victorious banquet. . . 

44   I spent the next several weeks tying up. . . 

45   And so, by digging that poor. . . 

46   Thomas and I float below the Falls, easing. . . 

47   Leo’s racquet scooped low for the shot.

48   There’s more, of course.

Acknowledgments

A List of Sources Consulted

About the Author

Also by Wally Lamb

Credits

Copyright

About the Publisher