The Boy with Wings – Blog Post – and giveaway
Johnny Cruel is born with strange appendages on his back andends up in a freak show traveling the South in the 1930s. Is he an angel or adevil? What does it mean to be different?
Boy With Wings
by Mark Mustian
Genre: Historical Fiction, Magical Realism
“Vibrant andalive, the kind of book where the blood pumps mightily.” —Kristen Arnett,NYT bestselling author of Mostly Dead Things
What does it mean to be different?
When Johnny Cruel is born with strange appendages on his back in the 1930sSouth, the locals think he’s a devil. Determined to protect him, his motherfakes his death, and they flee. Thus begins Johnny’s yearslong struggle to finda place he belongs. From a turpentine camp of former slaves to a freak show runby a dwarf who calls herself Tiny Tot and on to the Florida capitolbuilding, Johnny finds himself working alongside other outcasts,struggling to answer the question of his existence. Is he a horror, a wonder,or an angel? Should he hide himself to live his life?
Following Johnny’s journey through love, betrayal, heartbreak, and severalmurders, Boy With Wings is a story of the sacrifices andfreedom inherent in making one’s own special way-and of love and the miraclesthat give our lives meaning.
Winner, Grand Prizefor Fiction, Next Generation Indie Book Awards
Winner, da VinciPrize for cover art
Winner, Bronze Medalfor Historical Fiction from Independent Publishers Book Awards (IPPY)
Finalist, HawthorneAward for Fiction
Finalist, Cross-GenreFiction, International Book Awards
Finalist, LiteraryFiction, National Indie Excellence Awards
Shortlisted, ShelleyWard for Paranormal Fiction
“…a magical, highly imaginative tour de force… Boldly original and unexpectedlyprofound…“
—Readers’ Favorite Reviews
“Mustian’s story is a study in acceptance, diversity,kindness, and the possibility of marvels in life… Vibrant with discovery, Boy With Wings is a winner.”
—Midwest Book Review
“Boy with Wings is a lyrical, mesmerizing blend of the magical—feathered wings—withsocial realism…”
—Historical Novel Society Reviews
“…riveting… Anevocative historical novel that celebrates distinctive individuals in theDepression-era South.”
—Foreword Book Reviews
“In this imaginativenovel filled with magical realism, religion and morality are turned insideout and upside down.”
—Southern Literary Review
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Mark Mustian is the author of the novels “TheReturn” and “The Gendarme,” the latter a finalist for the DaytonInternational Literary Peace Prize and shortlisted for the SaroyanInternational Award for Writing. It won the Florida Gold Book Award for Fictionand has been published in ten languages. The founder of the Word of SouthFestival of Literature and Music in Tallahassee, Florida, his new novel,“Boy With Wings,” is the winner of the Grand Prize for Fiction fromNext Generation Indie Book Awards and has received numerous other honors,including winning the Bronze Prize for Historical Fiction from IndependentPublishers Book Awards (IPPY) and being named a finalist for the HawthorneAward for Fiction.
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