From Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble Discover Great New WritersRhodes's first novel derives its power from a masterful subtlety and ingenious characterization. He serves up a lonely, bitter old queen of a protagonist: a has-been composer, a British expat living in self-imposed exile with his faithful mongrel companion, Timoleon Vieta. Surviving on scant music royalties and cheap wine, Cockcroft, a tragicomic old man, is holed up in a dilapidated Italian farmhouse, pining after lost loves and opportunities, daydreaming of a dramatic suicide, and gazing into the remarkably beautiful eyes of his canine cohort. But this tranquil domestic arrangement is soon disrupted by the intrusion of a new boarder known only as "the Bosnian," who agrees to pay Cockroft's suggested rent (a particular weekly sexual favor).
The Bosnian brings out the worst in the dog and ultimately forces Cockcroft to make a painful choice between the two, ending the snarls, kicks, and bites that have overtaken his home. Following the ousted Timoleon Vieta as he makes an incredible journey toward home, readers encounter disparate Italians grappling with life and love. Rhodes renders his characters with gritty honesty, deadly beauty, and a dark existential humor at every bend in the road, reminding readers of the sacrifices we make to keep love in our lives, and the often grievous consequences. (Fall 2003 Selection)