Version 1.0.0
2004 Longlist

That Old Ace in the Hole

artwork-image

ABOUT
THE BOOK

Some folks in the Texas panhandle do not like hog farms. But Bob Dollar, the newly hired hog site scout for Global Pork Rind, intends to do his job. He is determined not to turn out like his parents who left him on his Uncle Tam’s doorstep as a child. And he is afflicted by the tendency to believe his own daydreams – to the point of forgetting that he made them up in the first place.
Bob ends up in Woolybucket, a town whose idiosyncratic inhabitants have ridden out all manner of booms and busts in panhandle country – cattle ranching, tornadoes, dust storms, gas and oil days, feedlot proliferation. These tough men and women seem to grow stronger with age, seasoned by the rigours of their life, from ancient Freda Beautyrooms who controls a ranch Bob covets, to Ace Crouch, the windmiller who defies the hog farms. They aren’t the only obstacles in Bob’s path. As he settles in at La Von Fronk’s bunkhouse and lends a hand at Cy Frease’s Old Dog Café, Bob is forced to question everything.

ABOUT
THE AUTHOR Annie
Proulx

Annie Proulx is the author of eight books, including the novel The Shipping News and the story collection Close Range. Her many honours include a Pulitzer Prize, a National Book Award, the Irish Times International fiction Prize and a PEN/Faulkner award. Her story Brokeback Mountain, which originally appeared in the New Yorker, was made into an Academy Award-winning film. She lives in Seattle.

Annie Proulx is the author of eight books, including the novel The Shipping News and the story collection Close Range. Her many honours include a Pulitzer Prize, a National Book Award, the Irish Times International fiction Prize and a PEN/Faulkner award. Her story Brokeback Mountain, which originally appeared in the New Yorker, was made into an Academy Award-winning film. She lives in Seattle.

We're sorry, but we couldn't find any translators matching your search. Please try using different keywords or check back later as we regularly update our collection.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Date published
16/09/2024
Country
United States
Original Language
English
Author
Publisher
Fourth Estate, Scribner

RELATED FEATURES

News May 23 2025

2025 Dublin Literary Award Winner Revealed

Discover this year's winner!
Video May 23 2025

2025 Dublin Literary Award Ceremony

2025 Dublin Literary Award Winner Ceremony live from the International Literature Festival Dublin.
Video May 23 2025

2019 Winner Emily Ruskovich

Dublin Literary Award Celebrating 30 Years Q&A
Video May 23 2025

2010 Winner Gerbrand Bakker

Dublin Literary Award Celebrating 30 Years Q&A

STAY CONNECTED

Stay in touch and sign up to our newsletter to receive all the latest news and updates on the Dublin Literary Award.