Johnny Cruel is born with strange appendages on his back and ends up in a freak show traveling the South in the 1930s. Is he an angel or a devil? What does it mean to be different?
Boy With Wings
by Mark Mustian
Genre: Historical Fiction, Magical Realism
“Vibrant and alive, the kind of book where the blood pumps mightily.” —Kristen Arnett, NYT bestselling author of Mostly Dead Things
What does it mean to be different?
When Johnny Cruel is born with strange appendages on his back in the 1930s South, the locals think he’s a devil. Determined to protect him, his mother fakes his death, and they flee. Thus begins Johnny’s yearslong struggle to find a place he belongs. From a turpentine camp of former slaves to a freak show run by a dwarf who calls herself Tiny Tot and on to the Florida capitol building, Johnny finds himself working alongside other outcasts, struggling to answer the question of his existence. Is he a horror, a wonder, or an angel? Should he hide himself to live his life?
Following Johnny’s journey through love, betrayal, heartbreak, and several murders, Boy With Wings is a story of the sacrifices and freedom inherent in making one’s own special way-and of love and the miracles that give our lives meaning.
Winner, Grand Prize for Fiction, Next Generation Indie Book Awards
Winner, da Vinci Prize for cover art
Winner, Bronze Medal for Historical Fiction from Independent Publishers Book Awards (IPPY)
Finalist, Hawthorne Award for Fiction
Finalist, Cross-Genre Fiction, International Book Awards
Finalist, Literary Fiction, National Indie Excellence Awards
Shortlisted, Shelley Ward for Paranormal Fiction
“…a magical, highly imaginative tour de force… Boldly original and unexpectedly profound…“
—Readers’ Favorite Reviews
“Mustian’s story is a study in acceptance, diversity, kindness, and the possibility of marvels in life… Vibrant with discovery, Boy With Wings is a winner.”
—Midwest Book Review
“Boy with Wings is a lyrical, mesmerizing blend of the magical—feathered wings—with social realism…”
—Historical Novel Society Reviews
“…riveting… An evocative historical novel that celebrates distinctive individuals in the Depression-era South.”
—Foreword Book Reviews
“In this imaginative novel filled with magical realism, religion and morality are turned inside out and upside down.”
—Southern Literary Review
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Book Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DXQGGV1Z
Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/boy-with-wings/id6742208264
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/boy-with-wings-mark-mustian/1146600022?ean=9798888244289&
Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/p/books/boy-with-wings-mark-mustian/143eb36ac6f04f87?ean=9798888244289&digital=t
Books2Read: https://books2read.com/u/mdxEoR
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/boy-with-wings-by-mark-mustian
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/221943461-boy-with-wings
About the Author
Mark Mustian is the author of the novels “The Return” and “The Gendarme,” the latter a finalist for the Dayton International Literary Peace Prize and shortlisted for the Saroyan International Award for Writing.
It won the Florida Gold Book Award for Fiction and has been published in ten languages.
The founder of the Word of South Festival of Literature and Music in Tallahassee, Florida, his new novel, “Boy With Wings,” is the winner of the Grand Prize for Fiction from Next Generation Indie Book Awards and has received numerous other honors, including winning the Bronze Prize for Historical Fiction from Independent Publishers Book Awards (IPPY) and being named a finalist for the Hawthorne Award for Fiction.
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Author Links
Website: https://markmustian.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markmustianauthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markmustian/
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/markmustian.bsky.social
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/mark-t-mustian
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Mark-T.-Mustian/author/B0CSF8JY2Y
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3463600.Mark_Mustian
Giveaway
$30 Amazon or Paypal
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https://sdbook.promo/BoyWithWings
Direct link:
https://gleam.io/OwUuV/boy-with-wings
