Echoes: or, The Insistence of Memory by Tom Shachtman

Echoes: or, The Insistence of Memory by Tom Shachtman

Available 8-22-23

Ell, a millennial of European and Mexican heritage, has one humorous children's book published, but her more serious writing projects are stalled, her boyfriend has dumped her, and she is deeply frightened by a recurring dream. To solve her problems, she delves into family mysteries-Civil War-era slaveholding, madness, and theft of artifacts. The key to all, previously unknown to Ell but remarkable, is a female Confederate warrior ancestor whose recurring nightmare echoes her own. By tracing both of their dreams to ancient times, and by using insights from modern genetic theory, Ell solves the mysteries and enables herself to move forward.

"Ell's own searching identity merges with that of her rediscovered Warrior Princess as the novel moves beyond its characters to explore how our notions of history and memory are comprised of an infinity of fragments that interrelate in many ways." -Kenneth Knoespel, poet and professor emeritus in history and literature, Georgia Tech

Praise for Tom’s first novel, Memoir of the Minotaur:

“A romping confessional riff on the classic tale, a portrait of the artist as a young bull. Shachtman’s rolicking prose weaves mythology into a gripping yarn and gives antiquity’s voiceless celebrity monster a soaring human heart.”—Charles Graeber, NYT bestselling author of The Good Nurse and The Breakthrough.

“A fine read. Exciting, entertaining, witty. Even more, a rare experience. Despite the blood and gore, the book resonates with wonder, and lingers in our minds for weeks afterward. Its conclusions are generous and thoughtful. A ‘classics’ challenge for readers that stuns us with its bravery and humor. I loved it.” —John Neufeld, author of international bestsellers Lisa, Bright and Dark, and Edgar Allen.

“…a thoroughly engrossing romp from start to finish, with a healthy dollop of mythology and ancient history thrown in!” Helen Seslowsky of Oblong Books & Music

“Tom Shachtman is a word-master; if you are a fan of Neil Gaiman or Salman Rushdie, you don’t want to miss this book. Seldom have I written a review in which I can quiet the voice of the critic while losing myself in the story. As I read The Memoir of the Minotaur, that critical voice was very quiet; I am not exaggerating when I say the prose is so nearly flawless that we may as well call it perfect…” Review by Catherine Beeman

Tom Shachtman has published forty books. His histories include The Day America Crashed, Skyscraper Dreams, Absolute Zero and the Conquest of Cold, and The Founding Fortunes; his social analyses, Rumspringa and The Inarticulate Society; non-fiction children’s books such as Growing Up Masai; and an eclectic trilogy of short novels about sea lions, Beachmaster, Wavebender, and Driftwhistler. His award-winning documentaries have aired on ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, and BBC. He holds degrees in experimental psychology and in drama and has taught writing at NYU and lectured at Harvard, Georgia Tech, the Library of Congress, Stanford, and other institutions.