Rock Island Line

"An authentically great American novel" that follows a young man's descent into darkness after a tragic loss, and his struggle to find renewal (Booklist, starred review).

Raised in an idyllic Iowa town, young July Montgomery is rocked by the tragic death of his parents. Fleeing to Philadelphia, he fashions a ghostly existence in an underground train station. When a young woman appears to free him from his malaise, they return together to the Iowa heartland, where the novel soars to its heartrending climax. First published to enormous acclaim in 1975, Rock Island Line brings David Rhodes's striking characterizations and unparalleled eye for the telling detail to this tale of paradise lost—and possibly regained.


"Beautiful and haunting . . . I read the book when it first came out over thirty years ago and it has lived in both my heart and head ever since." —Jonathan Carroll, author of Teaching the Dog to Read