The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski

Like A Prayer for Owen Meany Wroblewski's novel centers around a young boy who is markedly different from his peers. Edgar Sawtelle was born with an inability to speak, but he learned to use sign language with his parents and thrived on the farm where they bred and trained dogs for people who were willing to pay the $1500 they charged. Edgar's father dies early in the story and circumstances of his death create a mystery that tortures Edgar, who had the unfortunate fate of finding the body. I liked this book in spite of the fact that the writing seemed a little poetically self indulgent. It could have been edited down to about two-thirds the size of its 562 pages.