a book
A Prayer for Owen Meany
John Irving · 1990 · 640 pages
A deluxe collector’s edition of John Irving’s beloved A Prayer for Owen Meany—a coming-of-age tale that ranks among the most cherished American classics, including To Kill a Mockingbird and Catcher in the Rye.
In the summer of 1953, two eleven-year-old boys—best friends—are playing in a Little League baseball game in Gravesend, New Hampshire. One of the boys hits a foul ball that kills the other boy's mother. The boy who hits the ball doesn't believe in accidents; Owen Meany believes he is God's instrument. What happens to Owen after that 1953 foul ball is extraordinary.
recommended by 3 people
sourced from public statements
Rachel Held Evans
“One of my favorite books ever of all time.”↗
Carl Quintanilla
“@RickFolbaum @matthewjdowd amazing amazing book”↗
Amy Poehler
“This is a strange book, but it’s strange because it’s packed with so many great characters. It’s the story of a little boy, Owen Meany, who has a peculiar voice and believes he is an instrument of God. He and his friend Johnny are on a Little League team when Owen hits a foul ball that kills Johnny’s mother. From that moment, the boys’ lives are intertwined. I could picture and smell and hear what Owen Meany was like. Irving captures the innocence of youth, of people growing up together and figuring out who they want to be, and discovering the pain of separation—that made the book great for me. It’s about faith and fate, and how you don’t know who the messenger is going to be.”↗