Paradise Sky
{{short description|2015 novel by Joe R. Lansdale}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox book|
| name = Paradise Sky
| image = Paradise_Sky.jpg
| caption =
| author = Joe R. Lansdale
| illustrator =
| cover_artist =
| country = United States
| language = English
| series =
| genre = Western fiction
| publisher = Mulholland Books
| pub_date = 2015
| media_type = ebook, hardcover
| pages = 400
| isbn = 978-0-316-32937-8
| preceded_by = Black Hat Jack
| followed_by =
}}
Paradise Sky is a novel written by American author Joe R. Lansdale, published by Mulholland Books. It takes place in the post American Civil War era.
Plot synopsis
Young Willie, the son of a slave in East Texas, is caught looking at the rear end of a white woman. Her husband, Sam Ruggert, a racist former rebel soldier, catches him looking and immediately calls for his lynching. Willie runs home and tells his father what has happened. His father, knowing what will happen, sends him running before the posse shows up. Willie later returns home only to discover Ruggert and his men have brutally murdered his father and burned down their cabin. So Willie outruns his pursuers is taken in by a man named Loving. Loving teaches him to read, write, and shoot. Loving becomes a father figure and mentor. 4 years later Loving shoots himself after discovering he has cancer. Being a wanted man, Willie changes his name to Nat Love and head west to join the army and becomes a buffalo soldier. However while on patrol his unit attacked by Apache Indians and is almost wiped out. Nat figures he'll be blamed for the incident and deserts. He heads north to the small mining town of Deadwood, South Dakota where he is befriended by Wild Bill Hickok. He meets and falls in love with a woman, but then discovers that Ruggert, a man with a long memory, is still pursuing him. Ruggert and his men eventually catch up to Nat and his bride to be. After leaving Nat for dead, they kidnap, rape, and torture Nat's woman. Bent on revenge Nat, now nicknamed Deadwood Dick for winning a shooting contest, pursues Ruggert and his men for a final and deadly showdown.{{cite web|last1=Lansdale|first1=Joe R.|title=Paradise Sky Review|url=http://www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-ca-jc-joe-r-lansdale-20150628-story.html|website=Los Angeles Times|accessdate=29 January 2016}}{{cite web|title=Paradise Sky|url=http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-316-32937-8|website=Publishers Weekly|accessdate=29 January 2016}}{{cite web|last1=Lansdale|first1=Joe R.|title=Paradise Sky Review|url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/joe-r-lansdale/paradise-sky-lansdale/|website=Kirkus Reviews|accessdate=29 January 2016}}
Publication history
The novel is published by Mulholland Books{{cite web|last1=Lansdale|first1=Joe R.|title=Joe Lansdale on How He Came to Write Paradise Sky|url=http://www.mulhollandbooks.com/2015/06/15/joe-lansdale-origins-paradise-sky/|website=Mulholland Books|accessdate=29 January 2016}} as both a hardcover and an e-book. Nat Love also is featured in the novella Black Hat Jack published by Subterranean Press.{{cite web|last1=Black Hat Jack|title=Release Information|url=https://subterraneanpress.com/store/product_detail/black_hat_jack|website=Subterranean Press|accessdate=29 January 2016}}
The Western Writers of America gave this book a Spur Award for Best Historical Novel of 2016.{{cite web|last1=Lansdale|first1=Joe R.|title=Western Writers of America award announcement|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/wwa-announces-spur-award-winners-300233956.html|website=PR Newswire|accessdate=20 March 2016}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.joerlansdale.com/ Author's official website]
- [http://www.mulhollandbooks.com/author/joerlansdale/ Mulhollond Books website]
{{Joe R. Lansdale}}