The Memory of Running

The Memory of Running

by RonMcLarty (Author)

Synopsis

Smithson Ide's life so far has led him nowhere. He's 43 years old, weighs 279 pounds, and keeps himself numb with food and alcohol. His only emotional ties are to his parents and to the memory of his older sister, Bethany, who has been missing for 20 years. Then his parents die in a car crash and he learns of Bethany's death in LA County. Suddenly there isn't enough beer in the world to keep Smithy from his feelings. Drunk and bereft, he takes his old Raleigh bicycle and starts cycling. Once he starts, he can't stop and then he's riding across America to recover his sister. Along the way he meets all sorts of people who help or hinder him. He hears the confession of a priest, he rescues a boy from a snow storm, he has a gun pointed in his face, he's hit by a truck and helps a man dying of AIDS. Smithy's ride is an extraordinary quest, to rediscover the past and memories of Bethany, but it's also his journey back to life.

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More Information

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 416
Publisher: Sphere
Published: 03 Feb 2005

ISBN 10: 0316728608
ISBN 13: 9780316728607

Media Reviews
'Smithy Ide is one of the sweetest, most endearing losers in literature' Philadelphia Inquirer 'Smithy is an American original, worthy of a place on the shelf just below your Hucks, your Holdens and your Yossarians...This is a book that can do more than walk; it has a chance to be a break-out bestseller...It's big-hearted and as satisfying as one of your mom's home-cooked Sunday dinners' Stephen King 'Riders who hop onto the back of Smithy Ide's bike and ride America with him will cherish the journey. I loved this sad, funny, life-affirming novel' Wally Lamb.
Author Bio
Ron McLarty is a successful actor and audio book narrator. He lives in the USA and this is his first novel. He has a website at www ronmclarty.com