★
Benjamin Johncock
Reviews
Booksellers
“An incredible debut about mental fragility, sacrifices, love, and the interstellar distances we sometimes have to travel internally just to find a level for ourselves. With comparisons to both Cormac McCarthy and Ernest Hemingway, it’s a taut, intense, deeply affecting novel by an unmissable new talent.”
—Leilah Skelton, Waterstones
“I fell into this book like a falling star. Jim Harrison, already a test pilot, wants to go into the wild beyond above the earth. At least until he found that he was going to be a father, something he and his wife thought would ever happen . . . Debut author Johncock swirls into the narrative real history that makes the tale that much more engrossing, and gives a very impressive debut novel. I'll be keeping my eye on this guy, and so should you.”
—Jackie Blem, Tattered Cover Book Store, Denver, CO
“A tremendous debut! The subject matter is compelling and the story is heartbreaking at times, but what set it apart for me was the style in which Benjamin Johncock tells this story. Brilliant!”
—Julie Slavinsky, Warwick's, La Jolla, CA
“Filled with dialogue that cuts like a knife, The Last Pilot is a riveting time capsule of a novel that tells the gripping story of Jim Harrison, an Air Force test pilot, working at NASA during the 1950s glory years . . . But the dangers and magnitude of space exploration pale in comparison to Harrison's life-on-earth challenges . . . An emotionally raw, riveting read.”
—Susan Hans O'Connor, Penguin Bookshop,
Sweickley, PA
“Prepare yourself for a one sitting read. This tautly crafted domestic drama is set against the backdrop of the early days of NASA. . . Readers won't be able to leave these characters until they turn the final page. Benjamin Johncock's novel is a gorgeous exploration of loss, forgiveness, and courage. The Last Pilot is a remarkable debut.”
—Pamela Klinger-Horn, Excelsior Bay Books,
Excelsior, MN
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