Paul Neville to read

"The Garbage Brothers" will roll into Sisters at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, October 19, when award-winning Oregon journalist Paul Neville reads from his critically acclaimed debut novel at Paulina Springs Books.

Set in Chicago's suburbs in the summer of 1969, "The Garbage Brothers" is a poignant and funny novel about an 18-year-old named Jesse Wheeler, whose comfortable existence crumbles after his father dies, leaving Jesse adrift and without prospects. He finds a summer job collecting garbage for Willard Sanitation Service with a crew of felons. A coworker introduces Jesse to his niece, a mesmerizing young woman named Iris, who was raised in poverty but dreams of becoming a fashion designer in Paris. Jesse's relationship with Iris and his ability to survive the punishing lessons inflicted by his coworkers while winning their grudging respect fill the book with warmth, laughter, and heartache.

Critics are praising the novel, released earlier this year by IFD Publishing in Eugene. Kirkus Reviews calls it "a colorful, big-hearted novel about a summer of hauling trash." Portland

Book Review says, "The Garbage Brothers is a tightly woven tale that leaves the reader yearning for a sequel." Chicago Book Review calls it "an emotionally satisfying and enjoyable book from beginning to end."

Neville retired from The Register-Guard newspaper in Eugene in 2016 after a four-decade career as an editor, columnist, and reporter. He is working on a second novel, "Chasing Sam Bradbury," about a Ku Klux Klan revival in rural Indiana after World War II. He also is a singer/songwriter who is a long-time participant in Sisters Folk Festival's American Song Academy.

Paulina Springs Books is located at 252 W. Hood Ave.