The Rebel: An Imagined Life of James Dean

From the bestselling author of the Memory Cathedral and the Silent comes a major new novel about one of the greatest icons of the 20th century. Imagine if James Dean had not died in that terrible car crash. What would his life have been like, this brooding young man who, even before his death, had become an icon of rebellion and sex appeal for a generation? His best friend was Marilyn Monroe, he hung out with Elvis, he took drugs, went on civil rights marches, and climbed mountains with Bobby Kennedy. As Jimmy struggles to find a way to make good this ‘second chance’ at life, he moves from the movies into politics. Along the way, the Rebel gives us an extraordinary snapshot of post-war America through the lens of celebrity and politics, and a very intimate look at famous lives away from the pages of history. It is a story of rebellion, idealism, love, courage and tragedy - it is the story of James Dean, and the story of 20th-century America in all its magnificent, gritty, heartbreaking madness.