AN NPR BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR • From the Pulitzer Prize winner and best-selling author, a hilarious, sharply drawn send-up of local politics • A novel about a dark-horse candidate who risks his personal happiness for a career in the Texas House of Representatives • "Required reading in these politically turbulent times.”—Susan Orlean, author of On Animals
“A rollicking satire . . ."— Paul Begala, The New York Times Book Review
Sonny Lamb is an affable, if floundering, rancher with the unfortunate habit of becoming a punchline in his Texas hometown. Most recently, to everyone’s headshaking amusement, he bought his own bull at an auction. But when a fire breaks out at a neighbor’s farm, Sonny makes headlines in another way: not waiting for help, he bolts to the farm where his heroic actions make the evening news.
Almost immediately, and seemingly out of nowhere, a handsomely dressed lobbyist from Austin arrives at his ranch door and asks if he’d like to run for his West Texas district’s seat in the state legislature. Though Sonny has zero experience and doesn’t consider himself political at all, the fate of his ranch—and perhaps his marriage to the lovely “cowgirl” Lola—hangs in the balance. With seemingly no other choice, Sonny decides to throw his hat in the ring .
As he navigates life in politics—from running a campaign to negotiating in the capitol—Sonny must learn the ropes, weighing his own ethics and environmental concerns against the pressures of veteran politicians, savvy lobbyists, and his own party. In tracing Sonny’s attempt to balance his marriage and morality with an increasingly volatile professional life, Lawrence Wright has crafted an irresistibly funny and clever roller-coaster ride about one man’s pursuit of goodness in the Lonestar State.
Genre: Literary Fiction
“A rollicking satire . . ."— Paul Begala, The New York Times Book Review
Sonny Lamb is an affable, if floundering, rancher with the unfortunate habit of becoming a punchline in his Texas hometown. Most recently, to everyone’s headshaking amusement, he bought his own bull at an auction. But when a fire breaks out at a neighbor’s farm, Sonny makes headlines in another way: not waiting for help, he bolts to the farm where his heroic actions make the evening news.
Almost immediately, and seemingly out of nowhere, a handsomely dressed lobbyist from Austin arrives at his ranch door and asks if he’d like to run for his West Texas district’s seat in the state legislature. Though Sonny has zero experience and doesn’t consider himself political at all, the fate of his ranch—and perhaps his marriage to the lovely “cowgirl” Lola—hangs in the balance. With seemingly no other choice, Sonny decides to throw his hat in the ring .
As he navigates life in politics—from running a campaign to negotiating in the capitol—Sonny must learn the ropes, weighing his own ethics and environmental concerns against the pressures of veteran politicians, savvy lobbyists, and his own party. In tracing Sonny’s attempt to balance his marriage and morality with an increasingly volatile professional life, Lawrence Wright has crafted an irresistibly funny and clever roller-coaster ride about one man’s pursuit of goodness in the Lonestar State.
Genre: Literary Fiction
Praise for this book
"Too tragically real to be fiction, too funny to be journalism, too heartfelt to be satire, Mr. Texas is a virtuoso blend of all three, an instant Lone Star classic that employs humor to devastating effect. Laughing at the pitch perfect asides of a politician who 'got his ass vulcanized' or was 'a billionaire back when that meant something,' Mr. Texas accomplishes what only the best satire can: It shocks us into recognizing the 'pinata of partisanship' that has left Texas 'a place where hatred was key to political advancement.' But it is Wright's impeccable balancing of sincere empathy along with this genuine satirical deconstruction of their culture that makes Mr. Texas the triumph it is." - Sarah Bird
"Lawrence Wright is an American original. He's one of our most cosmopolitan writers but also rooted in his beloved Texas. His new novel is a panoramic journey through the bramble of Texas politics - all the way to today's debates about fracking, transgender rights and migrants. His characters are complex and believable, drawn from real-life Texans that Larry has known over decades. It's characteristic of Larry's limitless talent that now he's written a can't-put-it-down novel!" - David Ignatius
"Lawrence Wright is an American original. He's one of our most cosmopolitan writers but also rooted in his beloved Texas. His new novel is a panoramic journey through the bramble of Texas politics - all the way to today's debates about fracking, transgender rights and migrants. His characters are complex and believable, drawn from real-life Texans that Larry has known over decades. It's characteristic of Larry's limitless talent that now he's written a can't-put-it-down novel!" - David Ignatius
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