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Flying Sparks:Growing Up on the Edge of Las Vegas
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Odette Larson vividly recounts her adolescence on the edge of Las Vegas before it became the Disneyfied centre of family entertainment that it is today
Contrasting the frontiers of this haunted geography with the severity of her life at home, this extraordinary rite of passage includes a spectacular escape from a mental hospital with two convicted killers and brutal adventures on the streets of Oakland.
Reviews
Sincere, but not for the faint-hearted ... redemption comes only on the very last page.
It’s unstinting in its portrayal of screwed-up family dynamics ... and unflinching in its depiction of Larson’s experiences.
There is much pain and horror in this story, but there is also much that’s beautiful, inspiring, and heartfelt. Descriptions of the desert are especially poignant and come from an obviously inspired writer.
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Readers who grew up in the ‘50s (and Dorothy Allison fans of all ages) will be captivated by this account of a sad and soiled coming-of-age.
Publishers Weekly -
For the reader with sufficient fortitude to stick with this grim story, there are rewards. Larson’s style is engaging, with believable dialogue and painterly detail that bring her surroundings to life.
Women's Review of Books