Arc of the Comet

by Greg Fields

Arc of the Comet , a lyrical, evocative examination of promise, potential and loss, follows Conor Finnegan, a handsome, charismatic, athletic young man, and Tom McIlweath, a shy and insecure Everyman desperately seeking harmony and acceptance. Over the course of several years, their fates overlap as Finnegan learns the lessons of hubris --through a brilliant college career and then on to Capitol Hill--imposed by an unwillingness to compromise his ideals, while McIlweath struggles with his own fuzzy and indistinct future. First loves, lost loves, friendships crafted in the crucibles of shared space and shared pressures defined their journey. In the process, they come to separate conclusions that place them once again in disparate places, with disparate expectations of what
comes next.

648 pages, Paperback

Published October 1, 2017

About the author

Greg Fields is the author of Through the Waters and the Wild, winner of the 2022 Independent Press Award for Literary Fiction, the Independent Publishers Association Award, the New York Book Award for Literary Fiction and two other national recognitions. His first novel, Arc of the Comet, was published in 2017. He is currently an editor for his publisher, Koehler Books, and has presented at several writers conferences, including the International Dublin Writers Festival, the Bay Area Book Fair, and Central Coast Writers Conference. The Bright Freight of Memory has won the American Writing Awards honor for Literary Fiction, the Chrysalis/BREW Book of the Year, and has been nominated for a PEN/Faulkner Award.

Reviews

[Penny Haw · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully written, thoughtful story that drew me into the world of Conor Finnegan and Tom McIIweath as if I existed alongside them. As quietly lyrical as it is powerful, Fields' style is reminiscent of classic American novelists like John Irving, Pat Conroy and Fannie Flagg. Words to be savoured, characters to connect with and tales to intrigue, I look forward to his next novel, Through the Waters and the Wild, which is due soon (January 2021).

[Linda Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful read! Beautifully written and with great character development.

[Christine Boswell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book! I loved it.

[Bill Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! Well done Mr. Fields...well done!

[Calvin Anthony]

I loved this book---Mr. Fields did an outstanding job with the characters, story, etc. It makes me want to be there inside this book. Hope there is a second book. This book left me wanting more.