“Set amidst the political and cultural milestones of the early 21st-century, David Hicks’s The Gospel of Danny explores the way that tragedy splits life into before and after. In deeply evocative prose, Hicks writes of class and race, parenthood and love and friendship, violence and grief, and, most of all, transformation. Hicks is wise and compassionate, as he narrates this very American tale.”
“In The Gospel According to Danny, David Hicks serves up a breakneck pursuit of the American Dream, plumbing the triumphs and disappointments of the early twenty-first century with enviable humor and generous grace. Writing like a motormouth Philip Roth, Hicks deftly and defiantly explores how we chart our own individual destinies, as well as how we’re each shaped by the shareable dreams of marriage and parenthood, family and country.”
“The Gospel According to Danny is a dark, funny, modern parable of the prodigal son coming home to a self worth becoming. From the vineyards of the restaurant business, through a dark wood of marriage let free in the wilds of 21st Century American West and back, Hicks offers a deeply effecting portrait of a young man misspending his life into wisdom, empathy, and the capacity for love that, against the odds, makes it all worthwhile.”
“The Gospel According to Danny is such a beautiful read, delving into personal psychology while taking us through the tragedies—large and small—that mark our times. Danny, a young man finding his way through the troubling worlds of love and labor, is deeply appealing—as a figure of reason and compassion, but also as a reminder of the crushing choices economics impose upon the working class. Anyone who’s worked in the service industry will appreciate the behind-the-scenes restaurant drama. Hicks’ exploration of marriage is nuanced and poignant: two people inexorably drawn apart by forces only partially in their control. Ultimately, Hicks paints a dynamic portrait of relatable characters while at the same time portraying, with unflinching vigor, the fall of the American empire.”