Accordion Crimes

The third novel from the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Shipping News, Accordion Crimes spans generations, continents and a century and confirms the hallucinatory power of Proulx’s writing.

"A daringly intelligent work with a soul as wide as the Mississippi."  -  Gail Caldwell, Boston Globe

Accordion Crimes is a masterpiece of storytelling that spans a century and a continent. Annie Proulx brings the immigrant experience in America to life through the eyes of the descendants of Mexicans, Poles, Africans, Irish Scots, Franco-Canadians and many others, all linked by their successive ownership of a simple green accordion. The music they make is their last link with the past-voice for their fantasies, sorrows and exuberance. 

"Proulx's third novel... is a panoramic mosaic of the immigrant experience in 20th century America that confirms her oft-noted similarity to Steinbeck — and offers the most comprehensive survey of working-class life since Dos Passos's U.S.A. trilogy."  -  Kirkus Reviews

Annie Proulx’s prodigious knowledge, unforgettable characters and radiant language make Accordion Crimes a stunning novel, exhilarating in its scope and originality.