Henry, Himself

Beautifully spare and poignant . . . [Henry, Himself] charms not through the complexities of its plot but through the subtle revelations of character and the human condition. Most of us know a man like Henry . . . but we know him from the outside. The gift of O'Nan's fiction is to immerse us deeply in Henry's essence, in his desire to be useful and his nostalgia for a vanished way of life . . . And when we watch him winding the clocks forward, we find ourselves wishing he could just hold the minute hand motionless for just a while longer. * New York Times Book Review *
O'Nan has returned to the mode that marks his best work, capturing America's shaky middle class with dignity . . . Tracking Henry's subtle interplay with [his wife] Emily, and the unspoken mysteries that concern him, O'Nan reveals a rich inner life. * Minneapolis Star Tribune *
As usual, this profoundly unpretentious writer employs lucid, no-frills prose to cogently convey complicated emotions and fraught family interactions...Astute and tender, rich in lovely images and revealing details - another wonderful piece of work from the immensely gifted O'Nan. * Kirkus (starred review) *
Charming, meditative, gently funny, and stealthily poignant...Like Richard Russo and Anne Tyler, O'Nan discerningly celebrates the glory of the ordinary in this pitch-perfect tale of the hidden everyday valor of a humble and good man. * Booklist *
Engaging and immersive . . . One of O'Nan's gifts is his ability to craft his characters with such uncanny attention to detail that the reader comes to care for them as the author does . . . [A] poignant, everyman story. * Book Page *
O'Nan, with some of his most gorgeous writing, [provides] Henry instances of unexpected grace . . . This novel is a lovely tribute to the enduring mystery of an ordinary life. * Pittsburgh Post-Gazette *