John Wayne: a Novel [first edition]

Ultimately, John Wayne: A Novel is a love story about the American dream and American manhood as they are personified in the iconic figure of the Duke, and like any lover, Dan Barden expresses admiration and longing as well as the pain and disappointment of being let down. For the young Danny, and especially for his parents Lillian and Frank, John Wayne was a very real presence; someone they worked with, drank with, and felt blessed to be around. This story is perfectly placed in the intersection between fact and fiction, the place where the real man meets the legends that grew up around him.The novel spans John Wayne's life, from his first love at sixteen to his deathbed decision to convert to Catholicism in an effort to "cover all the bases." Throughout, the Bardens are the perfect observers, guileless enough to retain an unabashed admiration for a man they consider a hero, perceptive enough to begin to see him as he really was. Full of wit, intelligence, and sympathy, John Wayne: A Novel is a deeply insightful study of a man who was, himself, a walking fiction.