Oasis

By Laureen Vonnegut

A Russian beauty, her dead Moroccan husband and a tiny oasis of bizarre and untrustworthy characters conspire to make a fever dream of a novel in this rich debut. The Western Sahara desert is to some a void, to others a refuge, and to still others a home worth fighting for. Lili stumbles into the centre of this exotic world as she escapes a husband she never wanted, even as he lies gasping in the sand next to his expensive car, his gold chains ripped from his neck. But why have they come to this desolate place and why has she stood calmly by while he takes what must be his final breaths? "Oasis" is thrilling from page one, taking us from the cold of poverty-stricken Russia to the depths of the Bosphorus, the high-priced hotels of Morocco, and the sandy, sultry confines of a shimmering oasis, where Lili finally comes to rest long enough to unravel the lies that have driven her to this tiny outpost of humanity. Set against a political conflict that is tearing the Sahara apart under her feet, "Oasis" is women's literary fiction at its finest - part love story, part mystery, but entirely a rapturous read. Laureen Vonnegut's debut is a timeless tale of one woman's struggle to overcome her life of captivity and call the world her own.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1582433607
• ISBN13: 9781582433608
• Release Date: September 2006
• Publisher: Counterpoint LLC
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 0.88 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.4" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

Recommended via MetaCafe Serial Readings of first 2 Chapters

I was browsing MetaCafe and I saw this clip by Lauren Vonnegut about this book of her's, Oasis. She said that she wanted to bring back serial reading and that she was going to film readings of her book. I found the first couple, read by some sexy blonds and I was really impressed and totally captivated on many fronts. Firstly, I love the fact that an author takes marketing into his/her hands. Secondly, I love the media of shotting a video reading... as she said, it is the time and age for it. Plus, she convenced me to buy the book. I loved the images that conjer up from her writing, the adventure and the characters (I always hate writing too much about a book or film so as not to ruin it for others). So, in short, read the book and also check out the videos on MetaCafe. I did not look to see if they are on MySpace, but i am sure they will make it there sometime.

a great first novel

laureen vonnegut writes in a sparse but engaging style delivering a story that is gripping, slightly surreal (camel transport and a sassy red skirts co-exist and desert dwellers in burkas speak in american slang), and peppered with dry humor ( a large woman is described as "a mosque unto herself"). adventure, mystery and socio-political comment in a true page-turner - it kept me up most of the night.

Creative author and amazing story!

This was a riveting page-turner filled with mysterious characters, interesting geographic lore and beautifully chosen words. I could not leave my seat once I started reading this book.

Book me a flight

Oasis brings together a bizarre group of characters centered around a lovely but distressed Russian girl who only seeks to die for the third time. The writing is beautiful and artful, and the images conjured up stick with you long after you put down the book. Despite the evident living hell of the Western Saharan desert, the book makes the reader want to visit, if only to run into the group of peculiar misfits depicted in the book. The reality of Cannery Row always let me down in that respect, but maybe this place is worth the trip?

Brilliant desert adventure

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and highly recommend it... the story is so vivid in the way that Vonnegut describes the settings, characters, clothes, Lili's reflections, etc. There is no waiting to get into the book... from the first page, you know you are in for a literary adventure.