The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint

Debut novelist Brady Udall's The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint is a moving tragic-comedy that has been compared to the works of John Irving. The tender humour of this novel, coupled with subtly explored issues, makes this an outstanding read. Udall's prose style is engaging and refreshing, and the voice of the narrator is utterly convincing. When eight-year-old Edgar Mint gets his head squashed by a post van on the Apache reservation where he lives with his alcoholic mother, it is the beginning of a new life. Resurrected from near death by a junior doctor, Edgar find himself in a new environment, sharing a ward with three men in various states of serious injury, the focus of the hospital's attention and with no recollection of his previous life. So begins Edgar's journey.

This is essentially a rites of passage novel. But the passage that Edgar must take is more painful than most. With no memory and with only a typewriter for company, he faces alienation among his people, is disregarded as retarded and is shoved out of sight by white America to a tough school for troublesome reservation children. Edgar seeks the solace of acceptance or escape, anything to take him away from the suffering of being different, of being an outsider. By showing Edgar learning about himself, understanding the world around him, and experiencing everything again for the first time, Udall explores the big explosive themes of religion, race, identity and gender with a deft hand. There is nothing ham-fisted in his treatment of these issues. They are dealt with in a quiet but direct manner, through the eyes of a child coming to terms with the absurdity of humanity. This is, in some ways, also a rags-to-riches story and the notion of what exactly it is that enriches our lives is central. Edgar must first journey before he ultimately discovers this wealth. His journey is a search for identity, for the missing gaps in his life and it is only when all these gaps are filled that Edgar can discover his true worth. --Iain Robinson

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Delightful and quirky! - Rated
I loved this book! Delightful, quirky, funny and, at times, brutal story of a little boy whose head is run over by a mail van and whose family abandon him. Hmmm, doesn't sound funny when I say it like that! I highly recommend it.

A miracle life! - Rated
I picked this book up in the local library as the title appealed and read it in one sitting. Edgar's story is inspirational from his inauspicious birth to his accidental 'death' and rebirth on the mortuary slab aged 8 through to the final fulfilling of his destiny. Edgar is a survivor and a natural born narrator, recording the trials of being born an outsider and made to stand alone by circumstance. This book is of the 'laugh out loud' variety as well as being an insight into the unusual characters and circumstances in Edgars life while he struggles to understand what it is he is on earth to do. The final chapter will also make you cry!

Really Excellent! - Rated
I was browsing in Amazon when I wondered if there was anything by that great author I'd read last year.I'd picked up "The Miracle Life....." unknown and on speck from a second hand shop in Madrid.Now looking at my notebook I see I gave it 5 stars.The former 5 star book I'd read had been 42 books previously("Famine"-Liam O'Flaherty) and since reading it to date,June 04,I've only read one more 5 star book ("A Sunday at the Pool in Kigali"-Gil Courtemanche).For what it's worth two more great books are "The Book of Ebenezer Le Page"-G.B.Edwards and "A House for Mr Bizwas"-V.S.Naipaul. Buy it!

Brilliant - Rated
I feel that this book has all the ingredients of a perfect read. Edgar's life is tragic, bizarre, hear-warming, heart-wrenching and comical.
The best example of innocent Edgar's appeal is when he is about to be baptised by the Mormons and is asked if he has ever indulged in self abuse. He replies, 'I hit myself over the head with a brick once.' Anyway, read it!

I laughed out loud and cried tears for Edgar - Rated
This is one of the most fabulous, heart tugging stories ever! Easy to read, it's something you can pick up anytime, anywhere and be totally drawn into. It follows the life of Edgar from the age of 7 when the mailman runs over his head, through his time in hospital, then an Apache school and finally a Mormon foster home.
Written mostly in the first person, Edgar is so naive and innocent as a child, but becomes more suspicious of human nature as he gets older and endures so much heartbreak and humiliation. You cannot fail to fall in love with the little half caste boy.
The characters are fascinating, real, sometimes funny, sometimes cruel and the plot is full of twists and events which all effect Edgar and his journey to reach the man who ran over his head.
Read this if you want something totally unique and an insight into human nature at its best and worst.
See the world through Edgar's bashed up head and you'll never get him our of yours.