THE LONELY POLYGAMIST

New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 2010. Hardcover. Very Good/Very Good. Udall, from a prominent western U.S. family that includes two former Congressmen -- Stewart, also a Secretary of the Interior, and Morris, a former Presidential candidate -- seems more likely to be remembered as a writer than for his politics. "The Lonely Polygamist" is his second novel. It is the tragic-comic story of Golden Richards, a hard-working family man in his 40s, with four wives, 28 children and a failing construction company. Depressed by the death of a daughter and a stillborn son, Richards fights himself to believe in himself and his religion and becomes entangled in an affair that could destroy everything he's worked for and believes in. This copy is from the Powell's Bookstore's Indiespensable limited edition, signed by Udall in black marker on the title page, protected by both a dustjacket and a slipcase. First printing, first edition (as stated, with complete number line). About 6 5/8 x 9 7/8 inches in slipcase, 599 pages in red paper-covered boards with black backstrip and silver lettering on spine. Front panel of dustjacket shows author's name and title in white against black background that forms a couch with a dog and man partially silhouetted at each end, all on a red background, Dj's back panel has four blurbs of advance praise for the novel. Slipcase is black cloth-covered boards repeating the motif of the Dj's front panel in black and white. This copy has a single page -- 443-444 -- that is dogearred. O/w boards and text are without noticeable flaws or damage. No tearing, no bumping, no rubbing or scratching. Complete, clean and unmarked. Not ex-library, not remaindered. Dj shows a touch of wear along fore edges and corners, o/w no noticeable damage. Not price-clipped. Slipcase shows only light rubbing and shelfwear. A collectable copy of this early work from a very promising writer.