The Fifth Station: A Novel

by Kevin McIlvoy

The death of their youngest brother and layoffs in the steel industry disrupt the lives of Michael and Luke, who become aimless wanderers

176 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Kevin McIlvoy teaches in the Department of English at New Mexico State University, and in the MFA Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College. Recently, he has taught at the Bread Loaf, RopeWalk, and Arizona State University writers’ conferences. He has been the editor in chief of Puerto del Sol, the NMSU national literary magazine, for twenty-three years, and has published his own work in literary magazines, including TriQuarterly, the Southern Review, River City, Ploughshares, and the Missouri Review. The Complete History of New Mexico is his first story collection; he has published four novels, A Waltz, The Fifth Station, Little Peg, and Hyssop. He and his family live in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Reviews

[Angie Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this story for its rich setting and complex characters although the female characters felt flat. I liked the back and forth between 1st POV and 3rd, but I felt like there were some issues that were unresolved and confusing between the narratives. I loved the familial message and the desire to heal from the past from deep brotherly friendship. Overall, it was an enjoyable read.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been a fan of McIlvoy's since I read "The People Who Own Pianos." His final reading at NMSU was a rock and roll show but instead of guitars and drug problems there was fiction. Sweet, glorious fiction. Does that make sense? Probably not.