This portrait of a Southern familyâs downfall was the literary debut of the #1 New York Timesâbestselling author of Sophieâs Choice.
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A finalist for the National Book Award, Lie Down in Darkness centers on the Loftis familyâMilton and Helen and their daughters, Peyton and Maudie. The story, told through a series of flashbacks on the day of Peytonâs funeral, is a powerful depiction of a family doomed by its failure to forget and its inability to love.
 Written in masterful prose that âachieves real beautyâ (The Washington Post), William Styronâs debut novel offers unflinching insight into the ineradicable bonds of place and family. The story of Milton, Helen, and their children reveals much about lifeâs losses and disappointments.
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Lie Down in Darkness, poignant and compelling, is a classic of modern American literature from the author who went on to earn high critical acclaimâwith a Pulitzer Prize for The Confessions of Nat Turner and a National Book Award for Sophieâs Choiceâand a place at the top of the New York Times bestseller list. This ebook features a new illustrated biography of William Styron, including original letters, rare photos, and never-before-seen documents from the Styron family and the Duke University Archives.