The acclaimed author’s “mesmerizing tale” of a young man and woman who struggle to survive in the remote, disputed territory of 19th-century New Hampshire (Kirkus Reviews, starred review). With an oxcart full of rum, a man known as Blood travels through the wild country of New England toward an ungoverned territory called the Indian Stream—a land where the luckless or outlawed can make a fresh start. Blood is a man of contradictions, of learning and wisdom, but also a man with a secret past that has scorched his soul. Intending to establish himself as a prosperous trader, he brings with him Sally, a sixteen-year-old girl he won from her mother in a game of cards. Blood and Sally’s arrival in the Indian Stream triggers an escalating series of clashes that soon destroy the master/servant bond between them, offering both a second chance with life. But as the conflicts within the community attract the attention of outside authorities, Blood becomes a target for those in need of a scapegoat, forcing him to confront dreaded apparitions from his past, while Sally is offered a final escape. “In intensely charged prose very reminiscent of Faulkner’s,” Lost Nation delves beneath the bright, promising veneer of early-nineteenth-century New England to reveal a startling, violent parable of individualism and nationhood (Kirkus Reviews, starred review). “A rousing tale that will surely please the readers of his first, bestselling novel, In the Fall.” —Publishers Weekly “Jeffrey Lent has quietly created some of the finest novels of our new century.” —Ron Rash “Sentence by sentence rural New England comes alive, and Lent’s language draws you in like a clear stream in summer.” —Tim Gautreaux

We find in Beckett's masterful, exquisite prose, the familiar themes from his earlier works here expressed in the anguished murmurings of the solitary human consciousness.

"Extraordinarily compelling. The Quest for the Lost Nation is a model for comparative history-and should serve as an incentive for a new generation to do more of this kind of work."--Michael Geyer, University of Chicago.

It is a cherished belief among Thai people that their country was never colonized. Yet politicians, scholars, and other media figures chronically inveigh against Western colonialism and the imperialist theft of Thai territory. Thai historians insist that the country adapted to the Western-dominated world order more successfully than other Southeast Asian kingdoms and celebrate their proud history of independence. But many Thai leaders view the West as a threat and portray Thailand as a victim. Clearly Thailand's relationship with the West is ambivalent. The Lost Territories explores this conundrum by examining two important and contrasting strands of Thai historiography: the well-known Royal-Nationalist ideology, which celebrates Thailand's long history of uninterrupted independence; and what the author terms "National Humiliation discourse," its mirror image. Shane Strate examines the origins and consequences of National Humiliation discourse, showing how the modern Thai state has used the idea of national humiliation to sponsor a form of anti-Western nationalism. Unlike triumphalist Royal-Nationalist narratives, National Humiliation history depicts Thailand as a victim of Western imperialist bullying. Focusing on key themes such as extraterritoriality, trade imbalances, and territorial loss, National Humiliation history maintains that the West impeded Thailand's development even while professing its support and cooperation. Although the state remains the hero in this narrative, it is a tragic heroism defined by suffering and foreign oppression. Through his insightful analysis of state and media sources, Strate demonstrates how Thai politicians have deployed National Humiliation imagery in support of ethnic chauvinism and military expansion. He shows how the discourse became the ideological foundation of Thailand's irredentist strategy, the state's anti-Catholic campaign, and its acceptance of pan-Asianism during World War II; and how the "state as victim" narrative has been used by politicians to redefine Thai identity and elevate the military into the role of national savior. The Lost Territories will be of particular interest to historians and political scientists for the light it sheds on many episodes of Thai foreign policy, including the contemporary dispute over Preah Vihear. The book's analysis of the manipulation of historical memory will interest academics exploring similar phenomena worldwide.

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