More praise for ‘Edgar Sawtelle’ and first-time author Wroblewski

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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As I noted here, first-time author David Wroblewski earned his master of fine arts degree from Warren Wilson College and has been getting a lot of praise from reviewers.

USA Today heaps on more, calling it the buzz book of the summer:

Released June 10 with a first printing of 26,000 copies, the novel is in its 12th printing with 170,000 in print, a large number for a first novel by an unknown writer.

“It’s one of those magical books, like Water for Elephants,” says Cathy Langer, lead buyer for Denver’s Tattered Cover bookstores. “The word of mouth has been huge.” It’s not just dog lovers. “It’s speaking to a lot of different people’s hearts.”

“It’s the Cinderella story we’re all so proud of,” says the book’s editor, Lee Boudreaux. “It’s such an wonderful, old-fashioned read. … You lose yourself in this book.”

She mailed the manuscript to King although she knew “he gets tons of galleys.” They met while working on the 2001 novel Black House,which King and Peter Straub co-wrote.

Set in rural Wisconsin, The Story of Edgar Sawtelle tells the tale of a young boy mute since birth. With his dogs, he confronts family secrets, tragedy and danger.