Books are a wonderful way for coworkers and friends to share experiences, even when we’re miles, states, and countries apart. Hearing about what someone is reading is like taking a 5-minute vacation. Each week, one Piper team member will answer the question, “What are you reading?” and take you on a well-deserved, 5-minute vacation.
This week Steve is reading Spoonbenders by Daryl Gregory.
“…a witty, warm, and wise writer…”
STEVE SAYS…
A family of psychics…or a family of frauds?
Teddy Telemachus, a charming con man who claims psychic powers, meets Maureen McKinnon when they’re both recruited for an ESP study being conducted by the CIA. Teddy’s not exactly on the level, but Maureen is the real deal. Fast-forward a few decades, and their psychic family act has fallen apart. Frankie, who is telekinetic, is knee-deep in mob debt. Buddy, who can see the future, has withdrawn from society and fights the visions that wash over him. Irene is a human lie detector who’s raising her son on her own—while exploring the personal ads in the early days of Internet chat rooms.
It’s difficult to reduce Spoonbenders to a single genre, such as “family saga,” “thriller,” or “paranormal mystery.” It’s all those, and more. Daryl Gregory is a witty, warm, and wise writer who makes you care about every one of his characters. And as the novel races to its conclusion, you’ll marvel at how perfectly Gregory plotted every last detail.
One caveat: The novel starts on a somewhat distasteful note. Don’t let the first few pages turn you off, because they’re not representative of Spoonbenders as a whole.
AMAZON DESCRIPTION
Teddy Telemachus is a charming con man with a gift for sleight of hand and some shady underground associates. In need of cash, he tricks his way into a classified government study about telekinesis and its possible role in intelligence gathering. There he meets Maureen McKinnon, and it’s not just her piercing blue eyes that leave Teddy forever charmed, but her mind—Maureen is a genuine psychic of immense and mysterious power. After a whirlwind courtship, they marry, have three gifted children, and become the Amazing Telemachus Family, performing astounding feats across the country. Irene is a human lie detector. Frankie can move objects with his mind. And Buddy, the youngest, can see the future. Then one night tragedy leaves the family shattered.
Decades later, the Telemachuses are not so amazing. Irene is a single mom whose ear for truth makes it hard to hold down a job, much less hold together a relationship. Frankie’s in serious debt to his dad’s old mob associates. Buddy has completely withdrawn into himself and inexplicably begun digging a hole in the backyard. To make matters worse, the CIA has come knocking, looking to see if there’s any magic left in the Telemachus clan. And there is: Irene’s son Matty has just had his first out-of-body experience. But he hasn’t told anyone, even though his newfound talent might just be what his family needs to save themselves—if it doesn’t tear them apart in the process.
Harnessing the imaginative powers that have made him a master storyteller, Daryl Gregory delivers a stunning, laugh-out-loud new novel about a family of gifted dreamers and the invisible forces that bind us all.
HAVE YOU READ THIS BOOK?
Tell Steve what you thought in the blog comments below!
