Perfume River

Longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence 2017

A powerful and emotionally gripping literary novel about family secrets, the lasting scars of war, and the ties that bind us together.

From Pulitzer Prize winning author Robert Olen Butler comes Perfume River, a profound family saga that explores the devastating legacy of the Vietnam War and its impact across generations.

Robert Quinlan and his wife Darla are professors at Florida State University. Decades after meeting during anti-war protests, their marriage has settled into a quiet routine, marked by distance and unspoken tensions. While their own struggles remain hidden beneath the surface, the fractures within Roberts family are impossible to ignore.

Roberts brother Jimmy has been estranged from the family for years, a division rooted in the turbulent era of the Vietnam War. Now, as their ageing father William, a decorated World War II veteran, approaches the end of his life, old wounds are reopened. When Jimmy refuses to visit his dying father, buried resentments and long-held secrets begin to emerge.

Meanwhile, a troubled homeless man enters Roberts life. Initially believing him to be another Vietnam veteran, Robert soon discovers a connection that will have devastating consequences for the entire Quinlan family.

Richly observed and deeply moving, Perfume River is an unforgettable novel about fathers and sons, brothers divided by history, and the enduring consequences of war. Perfect for readers of Anne Tyler, Richard Russo, Elizabeth Strout and Tim OBrien, this award-nominated work of literary fiction combines family drama, historical insight and emotional depth in a compelling exploration of love, loss and reconciliation.