Title: The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint
Author: Brady Udall
First published January 1, 2001
432 pages, Paperback
ISBN: 9780393341645 (ISBN10: 039334164X)
Rating: 3.97
Overview
If there’s one thing that defines my life, it’s the time when the mailman ran over my head at the age of seven. That’s how Edgar Mint, a half-Apache, mostly orphaned boy, begins his incredible story.
In Brady Udall’s remarkable novel, follow Edgar as he navigates his way through a Native American orphanage, a dysfunctional Mormon foster family, and the harsh realities of life. Though he loses everything, Edgar’s unwavering goodness, faith in the power of language, and his determination to forgive the man who almost took his life are what truly define him.
The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint is a powerful and hilarious tale of resilience, heartbreak, and hope, featuring unforgettable characters as vast as the American West itself.
About the Author
Brady Udall is an author with a unique background. He was raised in Arizona as part of a Mormon family, where he spent time working on his grandfather’s farm.
After completing his studies at Brigham Young University, he attended the Iowa Writers’ Workshop.
Udall has taught writing at various institutions, including Franklin & Marshall College and Southern Illinois University. He is currently a writing professor at Boise State University.
In 1998, Udall published a collection of short stories titled Letting Loose the Hounds. Three years later, he released his debut novel, The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint.
In 2010, he published his third book, The Lonely Polygamist.
Editoral Review
In “The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint,” author Brady Udall delivers a poignant and moving coming-of-age story set in the American Southwest. Published in 2001, the novel is a captivating blend of literary fiction and magical realism, exploring themes of identity, family, trauma, and redemption.
The story follows the titular character, Edgar Mint, who is born to a Native American mother and a white father in the 1950s. After an accident involving a mail truck leaves him with a severe head injury, Edgar is sent to a Catholic boarding school for Native American children.
There, he encounters a cast of characters who will shape his journey, including his gruff mentor, Brother Oswald, and the charismatic, troubled, and manipulative Aidan. Through Edgar’s eyes, we witness the trauma and violence he and his classmates endure at the hands of the nuns and other authority figures at the school.
We also witness Edgar’s struggles to understand his biracial identity, as he begins to question the narratives he has been told about his heritage and to reclaim his own sense of self. Udall’s writing is lyrical and evocative, transporting readers to the dusty vistas and harsh landscapes of the Southwest.
He creates a vivid array of characters, each with their own unique quirks and desires, and he masterfully weaves their lives together in a complex tapestry of relationships and histories. One of the book’s greatest strengths is its exploration of the impact of trauma on both individual and collective levels.
Udall does not shy away from the devastating effects of violence and abuse, but he also offers a glimmer of hope through Edgar’s resilience and his ability to find moments of beauty and connection even in the darkest of circumstances. While some readers may find the magical realism elements of the novel a bit jarring or disjointed, I found them to be a powerful and effective tool for conveying the surreal and at times absurd nature of Edgar’s experiences.
Moreover, the novel’s exploration of race, identity, and cultural heritage feels particularly timely in our current political and social climate. Overall, “The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint” is a stunning debut novel that showcases Udall’s talent as a writer and his deep empathy for his characters.
I highly recommend it to fans of literary fiction, coming-of-age stories, and magical realism. My rating for the novel is 4.5 out of 5 stars.
