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Ruin Creek

david payne

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In North Carolina in 1954, sweethearts May Tilley and Jimmy Madden, who wed when May gets pregnant, cope with the hardships of parenthood and medical school, as they find life changing them in unexpected and divisive ways. Reprint.

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1,1993
Places
north carolina, 

This edition

Format
384 pages, Paperback
Published
February 26, 2002 by Plume
ISBN
9780452282810
ASIN
0452282810
Language
English

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About the author

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david payne

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David Payne was born in North Carolina and attended the Phillips Exeter Academy and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is the author of five novels-- Confessions of a Taoist on Wall Street, Early From the Dance, Ruin Creek, Gravesend Light, Back to Wando Passo--and a memoir, Barefoot to Avalon: A Brother's Story, forthcoming from Grove Atlantic in August 2015. Visit his author website at www.davidpaynebooks.com.

Linda Barrett Osborne, Washington Post Book World:
"[Payne] understands that place most families inhabit-somewhere between love and necessity, between truth and myth, between self and the expectations, the dreams and, ultimately, the separateness of others... Writing this fine evokes a past time, but also a state of boyhood that is timeless."

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Community Reviews

Rating(3.7 / 5.0, 27 votes)
5 stars
6(22%)
4 stars
7(26%)
3 stars
14(52%)
2 stars
0(0%)
1 stars
0(0%)
27 reviews All reviews
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LisaLisa98
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 26,2025
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Outstanding coming of age story with so much more... The characters were dissected and explored with such insight into flaws and strengths; the depth of which was somewhat refreshing yet intricate beyond anything I've witnessed to date! Emotional, witty, so full of life and loss... a roller coster of deep gut-punching feelings and deep seated introspective thoughts! This book is a winner. The author is superb. Highly recommended.
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UnNombreRandom
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 26,2025
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The most beautiful prose I've read in a long time. His descriptions of the area are exquisite. His character development is without par. He shows a sensitivity unparalleled.
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kansas778
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 26,2025
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Beautifully and realistically written. I could really feel and empathize with each character because of the three different perspectives written from.
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RegularBinge
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 26,2025
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2/3rds of the way it was a 3*, but the last 1/3rd was 5 stars. Worth waiting for. So it gets a 4.
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SleepingDragon01
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 26,2025
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3.5 Hi Nick and Liz. Dysfunctional story of life gone wrong set in Ruin Creek and Killdeer in the Outer Banks. Told thru the perspective of a teen son, Joey, and his parents May and Jimmy.
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Kns-
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 26,2025
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Well written, but a rather depressing story. I liked it when I started, but it gradually went down-hill. Too sad for this kid!
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Green_Gecko
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 26,2025
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Very well written, but a little distancing. They should have seen the writing on the wall from the start and not married.
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