Bealport : A Novel of a Town

Bealport, Maine is one of the forgotten towns of America, a place that all too often seems to have its best days behind it. And perhaps nothing symbolizes that more than the old shoe factory-"NORUMBEGA Makers of Fine Footwear Since 1903"-that has been perpetually on the brink of failure, and is now up for sale. But maybe there's hope? A private equity savant with a fondness for the factory's shoes buys it-and thus sets in motion a story with profound implications for the town, and for the larger question of how we live today. The factory is a hobby for him, but it represents infinitely more for the residents of Bealport: not only their livelihoods but their self-respect, their connectedness, their sense of self-sufficiency are all bound up in it. Can this high-flying outsider understand that? How will he negotiate the complicated long-term relationships that define the town and its families? In "Bealport", Jeffrey Lewis takes us inside the town, revealing its secrets, acknowledging its problems, and honoring

its ambitions. Brilliantly deploying a large cast from all walks of life, this novel reveals small town America in the early twenty-first century through the interwoven secrets and desires of its residents, and through them delivers a striking portrait of America at a moment of national uncertainty. "Bealport", called "a hugely satisfying read" by the "Evening Standard" and "deeply appealing" by the "Times Literary Supplement", is now available in paperback. [Publisher's text].

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