"Beachcombing for a Shipwrecked Godis the kind of book I'm always hoping to find: a story so absorbing, with characters so convincing, that real life must be set aside while the pages fly. It is the proverbial Great Read, where you can't rest until the story's been told-- beautifully-- and all its secrets have been confided." --Elinor Lipman "As eccentric a collection of characters as you'll ever meet take up living together in a boat, and navigate the waters of their own literal and psychic histories. In this fine writer's hand, the lessons they learn are alternately hilarious and serious, drawn with a wise wit, compassionate eye, and intelligent heart."--Jonis Agee Nine weeks after losing her husband, Charlotte escapes to a wooden houseboat where her shipmates are an aging blue-haired widow, an emotional seventeen-year-old, and the ugliest dog in literature. Gradually, a genuine friendship develops between the three women, united by the cramped quarters that confine them. Off the boat, Charlotte, an archeologist, joins a local excavation to uncover an ancient graveyard. Here she can indulge her passion for reconstructing the past, even as she tries to bury her own recent history.

Beachcombing for a Shipwrecked Godis Joe Coomer's best and most substantial novel to date. Throughout, Coomer's light touch and agile turn of phrase make this an unusually refreshing read. "This is a truly wonderful novel; humorous, but also profoundly moving. Its characters are so authentic and genuine they become an enduring presence off the page." --Andreacute; Dubus III Joe Coomer is the author of a work of nonfiction,Dream House, in which he describes the building of his home in Texas. His previous novels includeA Flatland Fable, which is to be made into a major motion picture, andThe Loop, which was aNew York Times Book of the Yearin 1993.