In The Land and Its People, David Sedaris investigates what it means to be a traveller, a brother, a lifelong friend. Trying on the role of carer after his boyfriend Hugh's hip-replacement surgery, he both succeeds and fails. He covers ground with his friend Dawn and challenges her to eat a truck tire. An ambivalent Duolingo bot becomes his unlikely confidante as he attempts to describe his family in a foreign language. Ever adding to his list of 'Countries I Have Been To,' he rides a horse named Tequila in Guatemala, buys a bespoke priest's cassock in Vatican City, and goes on safari in Kenya without taking a single photo.
Time takes its toll: Scrolling through his address book, he counts those he couldn't bear to outline and realizes how many are already gone. He is bitten by a dog and insulted by a wee train passenger. A woman on the street late at night either sexually harasses him or doesn't. It's easy to agree with the lady waving a sign that reads, 'Enough is Enough.' And yet, life holds much to delight in: the massive testicles of a ram, a trip abroad with his sisters, a really excellent reptile video, a pair of well-made cotton underpants.
Throughout these essays - at once acerbic and tender, playful and profound - Sedaris shows how much there is to marvel at when you keep your head up and your eyes open, observing with warmth and curiosity our fascinating human species and the lands we inhabit.
Most of the 28 essays in this collection are new, so clear your calendar and devote at least a day, if not a weekend, to savoring the inimitable Sedaris as he reflects on his long relationship with his partner Hugh, his indulgences (both monetary and cerebral) and the frailties of his beloved family members. Those who have followed along with the author's oeuvre (14 books, now) will appreciate the grace tempering his ever-sharp wit - Los Angeles Times
Sedaris takes on the indignities and freedoms of aging - from competitive infirmity to care taking to underpants - with his characteristic élan. You'll find familiar faces and Sedaris's trademark off-kilter humor, as well as a poignant tenderness - New York Times Book Review
His latest collection is replete with the wry wit, cringey awkwardness and earnest - but flawed - stabs at self-improvement - NPR
A funny and heartfelt essay collection on friendship, family, and aging....Sedaris's wit and keen awareness of life's absurdities are on full display. These essays are among the best of his career - Publishers Weekly, starred review
With his laconic delivery, Sedaris lures the reader into believing that the topic under discussion might be unremarkable, a you-and-me-in-this-together moment. But then, given Sedaris' worldview and world weariness, eventually a knotty twist or spicy dash is delivered with the realization that Sedaris' land is unparalleled, and its people are peerless. Sedaris fans will be queuing for this, craving new expressions of his signature wit and frankness - Booklist
In his 14th collection, our premier comic essayist does what he does best...a welcome return to form for the much-awarded and much-loved humorist... These essays find the author back to thinking about his signature material... all in his signature key of delightfully petty and wonderfully peevish... Sedaris remains a national treasure - Kirkus, starred review
A new David Sedaris collection is a publishing event - Literary Hub
