{"product_id":"mule-boy-9781954276468","title":"Mule Boy","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eNPR \"BOOK OF THE DAY\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eNEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW\u003c\/i\u003e \"WHAT TO READ NEXT\"\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eAn elegiac novel of men lost in a coal mining disaster and the boy who survives to tell the story\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn New Year's Day, 1929, Ondro Prach, the thirteen-year-old son of Slovak immigrants in Pennsylvania coal country, begins a new job as mule boy. He knows the danger-his father died in the mines-but he is proud of his position handling the animal that hauls cartloads of coal from shafts deep within the earth to the surface. After Ondro earns the trust of the miners and the mule in his charge, the room the men are working collapses and their fate is sealed.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrom that moment onward, Ondro carries the hard memory of that day, a burden that leads to addiction and imprisonment, costing him his family. But, years later, when the miners' loved ones come searching for answers, he finds the strength to share what the men spoke of and prayed for in the pitch black.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTold in incantatory prose set to the rhythm of human breath, this sublime novel turns the \u003ci\u003ememento mori\u003c\/i\u003e into a meditation not only on death but on what it takes to tunnel through darkness and live.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch4\u003eDetails\u003c\/h4\u003e\u003cp\u003eISBN13: 9781954276468\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFormat: Paperback \/ softback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNumber of Pages: 192\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEdition: \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublication Date: 03 Jun 2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublisher: Bellevue Literary Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublication City, Country: New York, United States\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDimensions (cm): 20.9(H)x13.9(L)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWeight (gm): \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch4\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h4\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAndrew Krivak\u003c\/b\u003e is an award-winning writer whose books include \u003ci\u003eMule Boy\u003c\/i\u003e; \u003ci\u003eThe Bear\u003c\/i\u003e, a National Endowment for the Arts Big Read selection; and the freestanding novels of the Dardan Trilogy: \u003ci\u003eThe Sojourn\u003c\/i\u003e, a National Book Award finalist and winner of both the Chautauqua Prize and Dayton Literary Peace Prize; \u003ci\u003eThe Signal Flame\u003c\/i\u003e, a Chautauqua Prize finalist; and \u003ci\u003eLike the Appearance of Horses\u003c\/i\u003e, a \u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e \"Best Book of the Year\" and Indie Next List for Reading Groups selection. He lives in Somerville, Massachusetts and Jaffrey, New Hampshire.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch4\u003eReviews\u003c\/h4\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePraise for \u003ci\u003eMule Boy\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eNPR “Book of the Day” selection\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e “What to Read Next” selection\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ePopMatters\u003c\/i\u003e “Picks” selection\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eChristian Science Monitor\u003c\/i\u003e “Best Books of the Month” selection\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eDaniel Island News\u003c\/i\u003e “Page-Turners” selection\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eAuraist\u003c\/i\u003e “Best-written Book of the Month” selection\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eBookBrowse\u003c\/i\u003e “New and Notable Books” selection\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eLiterary Hub\u003c\/i\u003e “Most Anticipated Books” selection\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Krivak captures the terror and tenderness of [the miners’] ordeal, and he builds to an ending of exceptional catharsis. This novel is a stunner.” —\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eWall Street Journal\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Krivak’s \u003ci\u003eMule Boy\u003c\/i\u003e becomes an elegy not just for the Slovak miners of Hazelton, Pennsylvania, but for the person Ondro became in the aftermath.” —\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“This poignant and elegiac novel explores the dignity of Pennsylvania coal miners. . . . Aching and artful, this is a tiny, perfect, lyrical gem.” —\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eToronto Star\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“An extraordinary work of rescue, witnessing, and redemption.” —\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eChristian Science Monitor\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Invites readers on a descent into the soul. . . . Krivak’s [\u003ci\u003eMule Boy\u003c\/i\u003e] evinces his agile lyricism and depth, his capacity for mapping the terrain of the enduring human spirit with a gentle hand.” —\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eAmerica Magazine\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“[Krivak] writes with pulsating rhythm and simple, elegiac prose. . . . The anthracite’s sheen, the smell of a carbide lamp, and the \u003ci\u003ememento mori\u003c\/i\u003e will cling to you long after reading.” —\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eHarvard Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Krivak’s prose style is stunning. . . . Through words, Krivak delivers us beyond words, back to the raw materials, the wood, the rock, the water, and our human hands moving and moved by the earth.” —\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBellevue Literary Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“[Krivak] gets love, family, faith, and home on the page—all of it—the good, the fraught, the mysterious. . . . [\u003ci\u003eMule Boy\u003c\/i\u003e] reads as trauma, prayer, and expiation.” —\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePittsburgh Review of Books\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A nuanced portrayal of labor and suffering. . . . [\u003ci\u003eMule Boy\u003c\/i\u003e] offers an immersion that is rare in contemporary fiction.” —\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eAnother Chicago Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“[Krivak] does it all in exquisite prose that explores a fascinating period in American history.” —\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eWashington Independent Review of Books\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A storyteller’s profound tale, elegantly told.” —\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003ePopMatters\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“[A] shattering novel. . . . Exquisitely observed.” —\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eArts Fuse\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Spare but powerful. . . . The lasting impact is sobering and heartbreaking.” —\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eDaniel Island News\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Storytelling at its finest. . . . A rare gem and an utterly unforgettable reading experience.” —\u003cb\u003eWOSU \u003ci\u003eAll Sides Weekend\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Krivak brilliantly succeeds at plumbing the depths of the human spirit. . . . This is flawless.” —\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e (starred review)\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Artfully explicates a philosophy of life, love, and death.” —\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e (starred review)\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Harrowing and immersive.” —\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eForeword Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Atmospheric and evocative.” —\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eHistorical Novels Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Descending into the coal mines of Pennsylvania in the early part of the twentieth century, Andrew Krivak has come up with a diamond. \u003ci\u003eMule Boy\u003c\/i\u003e is both mesmerizing and emotionally shattering. Its beautiful, hypnotic, lyrical prose, often reminiscent of the scriptures, casts a spell so profound that you will not want to break out of it.” —\u003cb\u003eNeel Mukherjee\u003c\/b\u003e, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Lives of Others\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eChoice\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Andrew Krivak is one of contemporary fiction’s finest architects of the line, and I am utterly swept away by his lyric, daring, and kinetic music. \u003ci\u003eMule Boy\u003c\/i\u003e is a riveting exploration of the ghosts we carry coiled within us—and what is unleashed when they leap out into the present. This book is as brilliant and sure as a bolt of lightning.” —\u003cb\u003eLaura van den Berg\u003c\/b\u003e, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Third Hotel\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eState of Paradise\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Sometimes you hold a writer so close you want them all to yourself. Andrew Krivak has been that writer for me and his \u003ci\u003eMule Boy\u003c\/i\u003e blazes so brightly it has already become, in my life, a great constellation. This novel is bewitching sorcery, a total wonder, a raging fever dream that sings and bellows and captures the entirety of our lives—all the things we fear and love and let go of and win back and cherish the most. It should, and will, stand alongside the works of Roberto Bolaño, Marilynne Robinson, and Denis Johnson. Here is a tale for our times, for all time.” —\u003cb\u003ePaul Yoon\u003c\/b\u003e, author of \u003ci\u003eSnow Hunters\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Hive and the Honey\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSelect Praise for Andrew Krivak\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Some writers are good at drawing a literary curtain over reality, and then there are writers who raise the veil and lead us to see for the first time. Krivak belongs to the latter.” —\u003cb\u003eNational Book Award judges’ citation\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“[Krivak’s] work has been compared to William Faulkner’s in its rich sense of place, to Wendell Berry’s in its attentiveness to natural beauty, and to Cormac McCarthy’s in its deep investigation of violence and myth. Yet all of Krivak’s writing, and especially his fiction, presents a truly singular vision.” —\u003cb\u003eAnthony Domestico, \u003ci\u003eImage\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“An extraordinarily elegant writer, with a deep awareness of the natural world.” —\u003cb\u003eRoxana Robinson, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Eloquent, sensitive.” —\u003cb\u003eJennifer Haigh, \u003ci\u003eBoston Globe\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Delivers revelation after revelation.” —\u003cb\u003eBen Fountain\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Incandescent.” —\u003cb\u003eMarlon James\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Spare and lovely.” —\u003cb\u003eAdam Johnson\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Grand and unforgettable.” —\u003cb\u003eMaaza Mengiste\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A writer of rare and powerful elegance.” —\u003cb\u003eMary Doria Russell\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“[A] singular talent.” —\u003cb\u003eJesmyn Ward\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Explores themes that profoundly resonate today.” —\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eHarper’s Bazaar\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Andrew Krivak","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48979756810457,"sku":"9781954276468","price":32.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0502\/9530\/8441\/files\/9781954276468.jpg?v=1784470336","url":"https:\/\/www.arielbooks.com.au\/products\/mule-boy-9781954276468","provider":"Ariel","version":"1.0","type":"link"}