Stump

It took the loss of a limb and the death threat from the mob to make one Liverpudlian dry out and move to a small seaside town in Wales. Here he tends to his garden, watches a one-eyed fox hunt for prey, feeds his rabbit celery. But his past life is a recurring nightmare—filth, desperation, and blackouts. More trouble, however, is only 100 miles away. Darren and Alistair leave Liverpool, heading south in a rickety old car. They have been sent by their gang-boss to wreak terrible, violent revenge, but have only a rough idea of their quarry: a one-armed man.

Interspersed between the scabrous banter and a pitch-perfect street dialect, Griffiths offers stunning, lyrical descriptions of the Welsh landscape and a dark, knowing humor. And despite the ever-present drugs, violence, and anger, he reveals a fragile humanity. Graywolf is proud to introduce this striking, distinctive voice to American readers.

“Niall Griffiths is one of the most exciting and gifted writers to have emerged from Britain in years. Stump is a magnificent novel of loss and obsession written not only with great skill but the kind of heart and soul we’d expect from such a major talent.” —Irvine Welsh