Book cover for The Brave: A Novel by Nicholas Evans

The Brave

A Novel

2010 Released
384 Pages
7-8 Hours
Little, Brown and CompanyISBN 9780316125635

There's little love in eight-year-old Tom Bedford's life. His parents are old and remote and the boarding school they've sent him to bristles with bullies and sadistic staff. The only comfort he gets is from his fantasy world of Cowboys and Indians. But when his sister Diane, a rising star of stage and screen, falls in love with one of his idols, the suave TV cowboy Ray Montane, Tom's life is transformed. They move to Hollywood and all his dreams seem to have come true. Soon, however, the sinister side of Tinseltown casts its shadow and a shocking act of violence changes their lives forever.

What happened all those years ago remains a secret that corrodes Tom's life and wrecks his marriage. Only when his estranged son, a US Marine, is charged with murder do the events resurface, forcing him to confront his demons. As he struggles to save his son's life, he will learn the true meaning of bravery.

Powerfully written and intensely moving, The Brave traces the legacy of violence behind the myth of the American West and explores our quest for love and identity, the fallibility of heroes and the devastating effects of family secrets.

Nicholas Evans

Nicholas Evans studied law at Oxford University after a year in Africa, teaching English with Voluntary Service Overseas. He then worked as a journalist, film producer and screenwriter, before writing five bestselling novels. The Horse Whisperer, his first book, was made into a movie directed by Robert Redford. He passed away in 2022.

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